Red vs Blue Season 21
by Monty Mason
Summary: Following their fight against the extremist Sangheilians, the reds and blues went back home and each to their own path in life. Now they find themselves in an abyss in which memories continue to haunt and they can only wonder where their relief is. Will they let their PTSD get the better of them or be strong enough to stand firm? - NOT AN ADAPTION OF THE OFFICIAL RVB S21 -
1. Chapter 0: Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Red vs. Blue IP, nor any of the characters from the official show used here. Rooster Teeth and any other investing parties are the rightful owners to that. I however do own the story, as well as any original characters in here.**

**Please note that this fan-fiction is NOT meant to be an adaption or related to the official Rooster Teeth timeline or Season 21. This is simply my own take on Red vs Blue, and a continuation of all my Red vs Blue fan-fictions.**

**Please do not take anything written in here as medical advice, this story is not meant to be a replacement for it. If you or anyone you know experiences any of the themes or medical issues covered in this story, encourage them to seek professional help.**

**Rated M for Mature as it contains language, themes and possibly other mature content.**

* * *

**Chapter 0: Prologue**

A sharp sting travelled through his body as his hairs raised into the air. Slowly, he found his body squeeze in on itself as it craved shelter and warmth from the lifeless chill of his surroundings. For kilometres, nothing but empty space was in sight. _It's all dark, it's all so dark_. His eyes slowly awakened from the calling of the heavy chill as a foggy breath escaped him. Slowly he felt the rough land behind his head, the only bit of matter in this lonely space. He slowly sat up and looked as far as he could to see the land end rather quickly. _Where am I?_

Legs that were frozen solid nearly like ice crackled at his efforts to fight against gravity. He slowly moved one foot in front of the other as his eyes went from one side to the next. With each step forward, the space in which the land seemingly ended before became more and more visible. He looked up above his own head to find no traces of a light. _It's like a lamp above my head, illuminating the way, yet not there when I look at it_. The man continued to walk forward as he soon came upon the edge of the land. _A cliff_, he pondered as he looked over the edge. An ocean of darkness ate away at the cliff bottom as the land eroded. The man jumped back in shock as he shook his head, slowly yet with conviction. _This nightmare again. How many times have I seen it now?_

The land he stood upon slowly lowered deeper into the darkness. _Too many to keep count now_. He stopped at the sounds of footsteps behind him.

"Hey Tech Buddy!"

Simmons looked back to find the young man of his past, Edwards ran with a most excited grin on his face. He held up a device in his hand. Simmons' eyes focused on it, the cellphone. Behind the young one, followed an older woman, hunchbacked and weathered from her years of survival. Her walk indicated difficulty, but so did her old age in general. Simmons looked at the young boy as he hugged him, reaching only up to Simmons' waist. The older woman looked at the two before her with a slow smile, but one that was quick to turn to sadness. Her smile disappeared like the cliff slowly into the darkness. Simmons looked around himself, his eyes however quickly widened at the familiar beep. _No_. He looked down to find a light blinking so strong that had it been any stronger, it would have blinded him for sure. _No, no, no_. The beeping continued, as did his slow descent into panic. Simmons found Edwards' grip tighten around him as he tried to reach down for the detonation collar. The beeping quickened, and so did Elsie's efforts in trying to reach her grandchild. However, as Simmons had learned repeatedly through these dreams, the past could never be changed. The collar exploded into multiple pieces of shrapnel as Simmons covered his face. He looked at the crimson splatter like a blooming flower all around. Elsie stopped at the sight of her grandchild's very grey matter lie before her feet. She quickly fell to her knees with a loud crack. Simmons rushed over to help her, but just like her failure, he too had failed countless times. Her head slowly lowered, lowered and lowered until it found itself free falling towards the ground. The clean cut on her neck was the last she ever felt in the world of the living. Two dead bodies now lay at his feet. His heart knew of the stress it placed on itself and his mind, his mind knew of the torture he chose to inflict and his body could no longer feel the drive to continue. He slowly reached down towards their bodies. They were ice cold. _Why do your deaths still haunt me, I got revenge for you both didn't I?!_

He slowly looked at the bodies once more in silence. _Why can't I look beyond this guilt and move on?!_

"Why you ask?" said a rough, almost tired voice of an older man. It was familiar, too familiar for comfort. His breath froze before it even left his mouth in the foreboding sense of fear. The voice carried a sense of discipline he knew of only one person to have, Sarge. The ex-red leader walked towards the bloodied corpses as he stared at their bodies. With his head lowered perfectly, it was almost as if it was a moment of respect to the dead. He then spoke, "These two could have been saved by you Simmons. Had you not hesitated to react at that time, they could have been saved."

"But- ," before Simmons could say anymore however, he got up to see the gaping hold in Sarge's chest. Sarge too fell to his knees as he gazed down at the building pool of blood by his knees. Simmons walked closer, just out of the blood's reach as he stared at the now lifeless body. _Sarge too is gone. I couldn't stop his death either, I can't stop any one from dying. I'm so fucking useless!_

"Yes, you are," spoke a hoarse, growl from where Sarge sat. Simmons looked in wonder and shock as the chill only worsened around him. Like a blanket, a dark misty fog began to wrap itself around Sarge's body and cause that red armour, once a symbol of pride to darken. The shade of red turned black, and the visor glowed red like that of a demon's eyes. The demon stared Simmons down for he stood up with great strength. "You are an incompetent leader, unable to take charge of the situation. Because of your inaction and incompetency, I lost my life in trying to protect Grif. And then you even had the gall to try and push the blame on to Grif rather than accept your failure as a leader."

Simmons jumped back from the demon's approach. With every word uttered, it was like a strong push forcing him back, further away till he stood at the very edge of the cliff. Out from the darkness then came into existence the pink one, Donut. He stood by the demon's side and asked, "Why couldn't you save us, your friends?"

Simmons felt the sweat on his skin freeze at the mere picture of Donut's crushed body. The red that coated the pink one's armour, and the crackle that echoed from the back with every step he took. Donut suddenly appeared behind Simmons, standing on nothing but thin air as he rested a single hand on Simmons' shoulder. That single touch, the one touch that felt so heavy and dangerous. Donut leaned in closer with a whisper and asked, "Why was it me that had to go through that hellish experience of being forced to live after all that I endured while you all tried to save me against my will?"

"I...I'm sorry!"

"Sorry, that's all you can do now, isn't it?" thought Donut as he with a sudden pull left Simmons for dead in the never ending fall towards the dark ocean. The never ending abyss that seemed to stretch its arms wide open for him, and just waited to catch him. Donut looked at the body that fell further till the details of Simmons' face were nothing but a blur. "You should continue falling into this abyss, where you can finally drown in your guilt as you deserve to."

The air that brushed past him left his hair to stand. He closed shut his eyes, and accepted his fate as someone purely helpless. _First it was the reality around me trying to kill me through all the hardships I survived, and now it's my own mind_. He felt his eyes water ever so slightly from the increasingly colder air. _Why is there no such thing as peace left for me, will I ever see the sun rise again?_

The individual water particles rose into the air. His back squirmed against the strong impact of the water. His whole body felt the freezing chills of the dark ocean, truly an abyss. As he began to sink, he could see nothing but darkness cloud in on his vision. Darkness grew all around his vision, and slowly all faded away into the literal void of emptiness.

* * *

From the dark emptiness came a sudden flash of light, invading his very sight and left his mind heaved with discomfort. His heart paced rapidly for it did not know the meaning of calmness. His skin was coated with the glistening morning sweat of a hot summer morning. Simmons quickly covered his eyes with a grunt as he slowly sat up. He rested one hand against his chest to feel the once well built chest now squish under the weight of his own fat. Underneath all that matter however, he felt the desperation of his heart and the cries of his mind. _Dammit, how long will this nightmare continue to haunt me?_

Simmons wiped his face with the bed sheets. _Two years, two fucking years now that I have had this same nightmare time and time again. Two years since I have left the military_. He planted his feet firmly against the carpet and lifted his heavy body up with a deep breath. As he stumbled his way through the bedroom door, he took notice of an empty bottle on the floor. _I left a mess again last night_. He picked up the glass bottle to read the label. "Whisky...I'm one bottle down again."

With the slight flicker of the bathroom lights, he stood before the sink. Both his hands gripped the two opposite sides of the sink with his heart finally calmed. He looked up into the mirror and turned on the water tap. The clear elixir of life flowed with a splash into his hands as the very feeling left him confirming one thing. _I'm still alive_. He reached for the toothbrush, and with a hearty portion of the toothpaste plastered onto the bristles, he looked into the mirror. The toothbrush that moved in a circular motion in his mouth froze a moment as he saw the ex-red leader. Sarge, silently sat on the bathtub as he simply observed the tattered form of Simmons. His unkempt patchy beard, and the dishevelled hair. Simmons' red eyes only served to make Sarge worry more. Sarge turned his attention to his once second-in-command's stomach, once that was well-built was now a blob of fat. A blob that hung down freely with the gravity. Sarge then asked, "Are you happy that you quit the military, Simmons?"

"It was my best decision I ever made."

"No," Sarge shook his head, only to meet the contempt gaze in his Simmons' eyes. "You are only running away, you are only comforting yourself with that as a convenient excuse."

Simmons continued to brush his teeth in silence, now having opted to ignore Sarge. He began to trim his patchy beard, and just as quickly as he begun, he finished to gaze upon his own handy work. _There is no fixing this mess, is there?_

He gently wiped his face clean with a towel and left the bathroom. But before he could take a step out to rid himself of Sarge, the older man stopped him. Sarge spoke the few words that had always riled him inside. "You will never find peace within yourself as long as you keep your heart closed off from this world. That guilt will soon become your reality Simmons."

"I don't need the ghost of my former mentor telling me something like that," said Simmons in a whisper as he quickly left. Sarge slowly dissipated into thin air with a saddened gaze. Simmons quickly entered the kitchen area as he put on some fresh morning coffee. The loud noise of the grinding beans alerted him to this morning's weather for his brain was finally awake. He placed the powder into the machine and let the coffee drip into a pot. The strong, sour smell of the black coffee first thing in the morning is just what he needed. The smell that invaded his senses guided his hand towards a cup, and allowed him to pour the freshly brewed morning courage. Beside him stood the pink soldier, Donut who had a cutting board with some freshly cut vegetables on it. _Breakfast_, thought Simmons as Donut stopped midway into cutting an onion. He took the knife out and placed it beside the half-cut onion. _Reminds me of the time Donut once made Mexican style omelettes for everyone_, thought Simmons as he recalled the vivid memory. _Church was especially pissed at him because of how thin our supplies had been at that time, but mostly because I think he couldn't taste it himself_. As the knife rested still, Donut continued to stare at ingredients. "I can never make my favourite foods again, can I?"

Simmons gazed at the pink one, who slowly turned his way and pointed a single finger at him. "And it's all because of you."

_All because of me_, he wondered as he took another sip of his coffee. As if his senses were once again kicked awake by the coffee, the ghost began to vanish. _A hallucination, nothing more than an illusion. But if I know it to be so, why do you feel so real to me still?_

Simmons took another sip of the piping hot liquid as he gently blew a bit of cold air to cool his tongue down. _Has reality chosen to completely abandon me, or has my grip loosened on it so much so that I can no longer tell the difference?_

The aroma of the coffee invited him for another sip. He heard the morning chirping of the birds that finally woke him completely from his reclusive mind. The vermilion skies outside his kitchen window, and the street lights that turned off finally indicated the dawning of another day for all the workers. As he rested the cup by his side, he noticed that the world was finally waking up for another day.

* * *

**A/N: Welcome back old readers and welcome new readers! :)**

**For anyone that knows what happened in my Season 20, they will know exactly where this is picking up from and the tone it will be following. If you haven't read it already, I highly recommend reading Season 20 before going into this one because that one will help give a lot of context. Just like Season 20, I hope to make this one be a much more character focused story as well with my own take and knowledge on certain themes in here. I also hope to provide a different kind of adventure for a RvB story than the usual formula that I have used in my RvB fan-fiction ranging from Seasons 14 to 19. And I hope that it will be different for you from Season 20.**

**As for the release schedule, chapters will be released whenever a chapter is written, edited and finished. I don't have a set schedule sadly as I'm not always compelled to write every day. It's only when inspiration strikes. Plus, a schedule adds unnecessary time pressure on to me. I may also take announced breaks out of the blue to ensure that the passion for the project stays alive. Nothing worse than continuing to work on a project you feel nothing for anymore.**

**You may also see recommendations for music here and there to help set the atmosphere that I had in mind for particular scenes.**

**As a means of feedback, I may also ask questions at the end of some chapters. Constructive criticisms/feedback is ALWAYS welcomed!**

**Looking forward to having you stick around, and thank you for reading my prologue here! :)**

**~ Monty**


	2. Chapter 1: The Newbies in the Canyon

**Chapter 1: The Newbies in the Canyon**

"Nooooooooo!"

A loud scream echoed through the canyon like that of a child throwing a tantrum in defeat. From every corner it bounced back into the box and irritated all that fell victim to it. A momentary relief followed, with only for the Mexican accented man to begin once more. He stood at the side path of the canyon, just hardly covered by a rock formation moulded into the wall above. He sought refuge, just as he also wished to stir the peace. He raised his head high, encased within a dark blue helmet with white stripes, a colour scheme that painted his whole armour. He took a deep breath and began another scream. "Noooo, why?!"

The Mexican man, Cholo held his chest out forward as the screams continued. Yet another inhabitant of the canyon, encased in a dark teal armour paced up towards the edge that Cholo stood at. "God, what is it with you screaming like this first thing in the morning?"

Marcus stopped as Cholo continued his wild wail. "Cholo, if you don't shut up, you will find your little pinkie toe missing the next time you wake up."

"Oh come on, that's just Marcus being Marcus," Cholo challenged as he prepared for yet another scream. Marcus quickly moved closer as he stepped on one of Cholo's toes. Marcus leaned in closer and asked, "Care to tell me why you are being a retard first thing in the morning?"

"I'm practising my Tucker."

"Again?"

"Again," said Cholo with a massive head nod. "Remember when he had realized that it was only Red team that got the girls, and none on our side?"

A huge grin painted itself on Marcus' face as he slowly stepped off of Cholo's foot. "Yeah, kind of hard to forget seeing that visibly distraught figure as the two women had marched their way over into Red team's base."

"Especially since he thought that Red base was going to become a love cave or something," Cholo mused, earning himself a small smile out of Marcus. As Cholo took another deep breath, Marcus stepped in Cholo's personal space once more, he raised a finger and jabbed it into Cholo's chest. "Keep all that singing up again, and I think I will have your vocal cords. I'm sure those will make some interesting noises."

* * *

Inside Red base, in one of the occupied rooms, a black armoured soldier, with a red under suit stood up. An outlining of white covered his whole body, that stretched with his body. An annoyed squeal escaped his mouth and his eyes gazed out the small rectangular window in the direction from which the scream originated. He tightened the helmet around his head and he exited the room towards the base's exit. Out on the hot barren land, stood two of his team mates as they observed the two men on the side of the canyon. He looked out from inside the building, and dreaded the very feeling of stepping out into the heat. "Eh, what is all the commotion about?"

The woman in bright red, once a psychologist, but now turned soldier looked at him with her arms crossed. She scoffed, "Cholo is being a good for nothing again, just like Grif."

"Come on now, Bonnie," spoke the one beside her friend. She fashioned a light pink armour. "We should all just relax. I know, how about I make us all some green tea?"

The light pink armoured woman quickly turned around towards the base and entered the cool reprieve. Bonnie quickly turned around with her arms held out by her sides as she tried to stop her friend. "Don't go wasting resources on things like tea, Daisy!"

* * *

In the commander's quarters, Grif lied in bed with eyes wide open. He slightly shifted his head towards the room's door as he overheard his name exit Bonnie's mouth. _Nothing new there_, he pondered as he turned his whole body weight to his left and against the wall. _Nothing's new today, nothing new would happen, nothing will change_. He gently trailed his hand against his belly and felt the fat stick out like a sore thumb. He knew just from the feel that he has gotten fatter. Grif's lazy lifestyle did not help his case. He heard a sudden knock and looked with surprise towards the door. From behind the door he heard the sweet, yet small voice of Daisy. "Do you want to have some breakfast with us?"

Grif turned back towards the wall, and she somewhat expecting this left in disappointment. _I suppose I will try again tomorrow as well_. She stopped midway in the hallway and glanced back at the still door, no sounds whatsoever echoed from behind it. It was understandable to her why so many of her colleagues wondered if he was still alive or not. _You could have at least given a yes or no response_. She gently rested her back against the wall and slapped the sides of her helmet. _I can't think like this. Losing all of those friends must have been tough, especially his sister_.

* * *

Cliff side, Cholo and Marcus stared out at the canyon in silence. Marcus looked at the overhead formation and commented, "This is a good spot."

"Yup."

"Too bad you use it to annoy the crap out of us every morning."

"Yup."

"It's a great spot for you to sleep in now every night from now on as well."

"Yu- wait, what?"

"Heh," Marcus snickered as he tapped Cholo on the shoulder pads. "I almost got you there."

"Yeah," Cholo agreed with a heavy nod. "Almost, but not there yet."

The two found themselves in the folds of silence once more. Cholo this time broke it and asked, "Is Caboose up yet?"

"I heard a lion like snoring when I left the base."

"So no then," Cholo replied as he began to walk down towards Blue base, with Marcus following closely. As the two neared the base, Cholo looked around at the quiet and peaceful canyon. "You know, I expected things to be hectic here everyday."

"But not quite what we got," Marcus added. Cholo looked at his friend upon entering the base with an agreeable nod. "But I like it here."

"Same."

"I'm glad I got assigned here," Cholo noted. Marcus agreed, "Yes, and as a bonus I'm glad that no one here is freaked out by me."

"Well, 'freaked out' is not exactly the phrase I would use to describe my thoughts on you."

Marcus in response pulled out a knife and played with it from one hand to the next. "Mind being a little more clearer about what you mean?"

Cholo quickly found his hands up in the air as a defence mechanism with a wide smile painted across his face. "Did I say something? It was probably very stupid, you know Cholo, always saying something."

* * *

Suddenly the two stopped as they heard the loud growls. Cholo's very toes shook in his boots. He hid behind Marcus very quickly and prompted his friend to enter first. As they stood in front of the door that vibrated from the very pressure behind it, Marcus felt his hands freeze from the fear that grasped his body. But continue they must, and so he did. He opened the door only to be nearly blown off his feet. Cholo on the other hand was quickly flopped back against the wall as he squealed in the pain that coursed through his spine. As Marcus walked into the room, Freckles took notices of his presence with the quick flicker of the flashlight on the gun. Marcus tip toed in close to Caboose, but the moment he felt victory at hand, he was pushed back just like with Cholo against one of the corners in a most uncomfortable position.

"You okay Marcus?" Cholo inquired as he peeked his head inside the room, only to find his friend under a messy pile of paper and clothing. Marcus raised a white sock in he air and as his head spun with stars all around, he spoke, "Tag out. I think I'm good with just sticking to packing Caboose's lunch."

He slowly dragged himself out for fear of being blown away again should he stand. He crawled out on all fours out of the room and rested against the wall. "You, Mexican man, you can take care of waking him up."

"Hey, that's racist," Cholo pointed out. But with a big smug grin on his face, he said, "Fortunately for you, I revel in the stereotype for I'm a proud Mexican man...with a big wang."

"Right, always with the wangs, of course."

"If only the two sexy ladies in this canyon would see that, if only they would see the value," Cholo balled his hands into fists as he shook them in the air. "Then I can get all the deliciously spicy Mexican food cooked by their cute hands, all for me!"

"You know," Marcus began as he cleaned himself off from the ground. "Sometimes I question your priorities man."

Cholo walked over and gently poked Caboose's chest. Like a big 'do not touch' red button, it reacted with extreme response and nearly blasted Cholo off his feet from the sheer force of Caboose's snore. Cholo again poked his chest, but harder this time, still no response. _I really do envy him for being able to sleep through this. If only it were so easy for everyone_, thought Cholo as he began to punch Caboose's chest, before he finally stirred awake. Caboose gently rubbed his eyes as he giggled to himself. "That tickled, who was it, which one of you tickled me in my sleep?"

_Tickled, seriously?_ The two men wondered as Caboose stretched his back and stood up with Freckles in hand. Caboose looked around to find the rectangular room to be rather suffocating. "Is it morning already?"

"Sure is," Cholo patted Caboose's back and pointed out the door. "Come on, time to crash Red base for some morning grub."

"Yay!" Caboose followed the two men outside in a well paced march. "I hope they make something delicious today, and not just the food from those packaged boxes."

"The MREs?" Marcus asked as he quickly then agreed. "Those things suck balls."

* * *

As the group travelled across the canyon, mid-way through they all but Caboose felt the affects of the heat. The dark blue armoured soldier hummed a happy tune, but one that sounded also a little sad to say the least. Caboose noticed Red base coming closer. "I hope Tucker is having a good vacation with Junior."

"I'm sure he is," Cholo responded enthusiastically. "It's better for him to get away from the canyon once in a while as well."

Caboose thought of Cholo's words for a while before asking, "Will you do the same in the future?"

Cholo looked back with a small, somewhat lonely smile on his face as he shook his head. "I don't really have anywhere else to go. Well, that is to say that this is the only place I feel like I really belong at."

Cholo quickly held his head with a small squeal however as he felt the sharp knuckles of Marcus's fist against his helmet. Marcus then patted Cholo on the shoulder and said, "Quit being so melodramatic. Don't you still have that sexy cousin sister that you keep on going on about always back on Earth?"

The trio reached Red base. Cholo looked inside to find the way wide open. "Yeah, but I don't know when I would return, if ever."

"I thought you made a promise," Marcus replied with a big smirk on his face. "But if you don't want to, I wouldn't mind taking your place. It would be nice to get familiar with your cousin."

"No!" Cholo quickly replied as he then stopped midway. Their noses raised on quick alert as a smell most foul entered their nostrils. It was an odour worse than the open sewers back on Earth. The smell was reminiscent of burning charcoal. Bonnie quickly rushed out from the cafeteria room, with heavy coughs exiting her exasperated lungs. Cholo looked with anticipation at the black smoke that followed, but was quickly left disappointed. "Where are Johnny and Grif?"

"Those two bums?" Bonnie asked with a very quick to judge tone. "They are in their rooms. They probably don't care if there would be a fire or not so as long as they can sleep in."

"That's insensitive towards Grif, don't you think?" Marcus asked, only to find her chuckle in response. She crossed her arms and rested the majority of her weight to one side of her body. "This coming from the psychopath, this is rich."

Marcus felt her beginning to tug at his strings as his foot automatically begun to tap the ground in a rhythmic motion. He crossed his arms and looked down at the ground with a deep breath escaping him. "You know, I will be more than happy to show the extent of my 'fantasies' to the good psychologist if you would like."

"Fine," Bonnie undid her arms and looked back towards Grif's room. "I admit that I'm being insensitive. But it's not like that makes it any easier to get Grif to come out of his shell. If anything, I can only feel the frustration grow. He doesn't even try talking to any of us now. Ever since we came here, aside from a few greetings here and there, it always felt like there has been a rift between him and us. And now, he has completely retreated into his room."

"Does he come out at all?" asked Cholo as he scratched his head in concern. Bonnie shook her head with further clarification, "Hardly. But only for getting food, filling up on beer and to go to the washroom."

"Hmm," Caboose looked up at the sky in the midst of the heat much to their continued shock. No matter how long they watched him, he continued to surprise them even to this day. "I don't like this, I want for Grif to come out and be friends again with me!"

"It's okay Caboose. We will all be there for him. We will help him," Cholo gently patted the blue soldier on the back as he then quickly rushed back into the shadows. He told Bonnie, "It will just take time I suppose, a long time to get over his loss."

"It's not the loss that I see as the cause," Bonnie replied back. Marcus raised an eyebrow at her statement and asked, "What is it that you think is the problem then?"

* * *

But before either of them could continue the conversation, Daisy rushed out from the kitchen with a trail of black smoke following closely behind her. She coughed her way in to the base's entrance. She wiped her hands clean with the apron around her waist. Cholo felt his eyes almost pop out and break through the visor with heart shaped pupils. _Hello sexy woman_. Daisy looked at the group with a wide smile on her face as she clapped her hand together. She wondered, "So, who is hungry for some breakfast?"

Suddenly, as if a bucket of icy water came showering down on their bodies, both Marcus and Cholo found their mouths tightly shut. Their eyes trailed from left to right, all around the room, and gazed at every detail in there but at Daisy. Bonnie looked at the two men slightly amused, but equally worried for she too knew that she would be a victim. "Listen Daisy...how do I say this?"

"Um," Bonnie cleared her throat as she rubbed the back of her neck. "You see...well it's like...no...how to put it?"

"Are you that hungry that you are lost for words?" Daisy inquired very innocently. Bonnie took a cautions step back as she stared at the new trail of smoke follow from the kitchen. "Daisy, that smoke is not a good sign. I think your food is overcooked and burned."

_Wait a go be subtle_, thought the two men. Daisy looked back and rested a finger against her chin in wonder. "But I thought it smelled fine."

"I agree," Caboose spoke rather loudly for all to hear within the canyon. "Iowa would have thought it smelled fine as well and would have wanted to dig in right away!"

Everyone froze at the mention of that name. They all looked at Caboose with their visors hiding their true emotions. Pity was shot in Caboose's direction. However, the blue soldier paid no attention as he walked past the staring crowd with a loud, and a proud whistle of a happy man. Bonnie crossed her arms and sighed with relief. "I remember seeing Caboose go into a depressive trance every time Iowa was mentioned the first time I met him."

"Well I wouldn't say he is completely over it," whispered Cholo just as the green fragment formed beside Caboose. "Caboose, if you are ever feeling down, I remember York telling me that at times like those, appropriate body contact can help. Perhaps a hug might just do the trick."

Daisy's ears perked up in curiosity at Delta's suggestions and spoke, "I love hugs!"

She opened her arms wide for Caboose and he in turn said, "I love hugs as well!"

The two quickly embraced one another into a big bear hug. Cholo looked with his mouth wide open as he slowly inched closer only to be stopped by Marcus. "Don't ruin this moment."

"But, but I want the huggsies as well...from the pretty woman."

* * *

Bonnie shook her head and looked down with a small smile as one singular thought echoed in her head. _What a bunch of airheads_. The group proceeded inside to the canteen area where their dinner table resided. As everyone took a step into the smokey room, all but Daisy and Caboose felt their legs wobble. The very strength of the smoke that invaded their air filtration system left them speechless. In the center of the table sat the abomination created by Daisy's own hands. The black tar, almost soft like jello sat in a large bowl, ready for serving. Daisy walked forward and motioned towards the chairs all around. "Please, dig right in!"

_Dig right in, easier said than done_, thought Marcus as he shuffled in his spot. No one wanted to take the first step. But when they all heard Caboose's stomach roar, they knew that he would be the first one to go for the man had to answer the stomach's cries no matter what. Caboose sat down with Freckles to his side and began to take a spoonful of the food into his bowl and took the first bite. His child like smile painted ever so innocently as he continued to enjoy Daisy's hard work with much appreciation. Bonnie taken by surprise every time, she could not help but wonder, _just how strong is his mental fortitude to be able to eat down such toxic material?_

Cholo was the next to follow. _Okay, you are doing this to make the beautiful Daisy happy. You can do this, eat it like you mean it, like a man!_ Cholo took a small piece on his fork and let it rest in his mouth for a bit. His face turned pale as a shade of purple quickly covered the top of his head to his eyes. The fork dropped to his side and he held his throat in panic. "Someone help, choking here...gah, water, first aid!"

His bloodshot eyes looked at Bonnie and held her foot. His mouth tugged up from one side as he begged. "Please, give me mouth to mouth procedure."

"I will employ my foot to your crotch procedure if you don't quit being a pervert," she snarled in response. Marcus watched Daisy, who struggled to eat her own dish, with a smirk. Her next action could not help but cause him to laugh. She took big spoons of sugar and dumped it into the bowl, before rigorously mixing the contents together. Johnny walked a few minutes later into the eating area with a loud yawn, as he scratched his back. "What is all the commotion about out here?"

Johnny looked at the set, empty plates even though now the majority of the group present. Cholo continued to die. Bonnie was throwing up in one corner of the room, like a water fall it did not seem like an end was in sight for her. Marcus simply stared at the continued entertainment and laughed heartily. Daisy poked her own dish, now too scared to even put it in her mouth. In the center of the table however sat the near empty bowl of the dish. Johnny looked at the continued struggle of his teammates. "Anyone going to eat that?"

Marcus heard Johnny's stomach rumble, and a light bulb went off in his head. "Nah, you have a blast with it."

"Nice," Johnny took the remaining bit into his own little bowl. "Thanks man."

He finished scraping the dish dry and let out yet another long yawn. "If anyone needs me, I will be in my room to eat and then sleep this food off."

Only mere moment later, everyone in the canyon heard a loud and agonizing scream from Johnny's room. Marcus broke out into an even bigger laughter as he slapped his own thigh in continued excitement. As Bonnie's waterfall ended, she looked back whilst wiping her mouth clean. "You know, you are truly evil."

She stood up and sat across from him, only to quickly join him in the laughter.

* * *

**A/N: Welcome back to the canyon and hope that you enjoyed the first visit back. If you have not read my mini-story for the new recruits, I would highly recommend doing so as it gives them back stories and more character. I will not focus on re-treading the same ground again over here.**

**What is your opinion on the tone of this chapter in comparison to the prologue?**

**Did it feel a little more light hearted?**

**I hope you like these new characters as they will play an integral role in the lives of our remaining BGC original cast. I would love to read your feedback please :).**

**I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and see you in the next one!**

**Thank you!**

**~ Monty Mason**


	3. Chapter 2: Simmons the Working Adult

**Chapter 2: Simmons the Working Adult**

A loud thunder echoed on the roads. David Washington, a man of slim weight, and pale qualities looked out the main doors to the beach side resort he ran with his wife. He put down the morning paper into a neat fold atop the glass table in the main area of the entrance and stood up from the soft, and warm spot his butt once occupied on the couch. He stretched his back and opened the front doors to meet the morning breeze with a smile. He felt the breeze hit his naked scalp, and even now he preferred to keep a shaven head. No hair meant little mess in the kitchen. He gazed in the direction of the thunder that approached on this sunny morning. The rubber that burned on the road left a trail of a very unpleasant smell behind. As heavy as the smell of tar. The roar of the beast neared, and it quietened as the driver made the turn into the employees parking. David crossed his arms with as a heavy expression gently wrapped around on his face. The rider removed his helmet and the ruffled hair stuck out in a noticeable fashion. The rider fixed the itch in his patchy beard as he looked at David standing near the main entrance. David stared at the bike with a raised eyebrow, and looked towards the road by the entry to their parking lot. A skid mark was as visible as the sunlight on this clear day. But the owner gently breathed outward and gave a gentle wave. "Good morning, Simmons."

As Simmons fixed his hair, he gave a gentle nod. "Morning."

But he knew something was different. The voice and the facial expression did not seem to meet one another, as if they did not see eye to eye. David's concern was even more so apparent when the man's gaze completely fixated onto the bike, unmoving and frozen like a statue. Simmons tied the bike down and walked towards the entrance with the helmet over his shoulders. He stopped to look back with a small smile and reassured David. "It's already been a year and a half since I have had this bike, and my driving record is spotless. You need to stop worrying about this bike and me, David."

"Yeah, you are right," David held the front door open as the two men entered. He pointed in the general area for the employees and said, "Go ahead and sign in. We need to begin setting up for the day."

"Yes, boss," said Simmons as he accessed the sign in console to account for his working hours. Having quickly changed, he stepped out to meet yet another day's worth of challenges. He straightened out his shirt and apron, and took notice of the tapping of two little feet against the wooded floor. He saw a young girl run circles around him, as her mother, a red head chased after her with much vigour. Carolina almost caught her, only for the little one to slip away rather quickly. "You need to stay still Sheila, you have to get ready for pre-school. If you don't, you will be late!"

* * *

However, Sheila cared not for the concerns as her smile echoed the carefree world of her mind she currently was enamoured with. Her arms spread wide out as her laughter only grew in sound. She lifted her head high with her chest held outwards. As Carolina saw her daughter turn a corner, she stopped to catch her breath and wiped a stray hair strand from her forehead. She gave a morning nod to Simmons who returned the kind gesture. She looked back at the now empty corner and wondered, "Where does she get all this energy from?"

Simmons took notice of a young boy, sharing many of the same features as his father, sit quietly at one of the dinner tables. Simmons moved closer and gently spoke, "Morning, Derek."

"Morning," said the young boy in a quiet voice. Simmons' eyes gazed at the device Derek held in his hand as he fiddled with its features. Derek looked at the various apps and their functionalities on his mother's phone. He looked for ways to see how best he could overcome the app's limitations.

"Quite the tinkerer you are", said Simmons as he quickly shoved his hands in his pockets for a sudden urge to grip the table overcame him. "Reminds me of someone I used to know once."

Derek looked up from the illuminating screen as the young one noticed the loneliness in Simmons' voice. But just as quickly Simmons noticed the stare, Derek hid behind the screen. Simmons smirked to himself pondering, _I used to be the same when I was young. Although for me it got worse after my father left me_. But before he was given any further opportunities to interact with the family, he was called into the kitchen. A mountain of dirty plates waited for his tender care much to his annoyance. Dish duty first thing in the morning. As the cleaning began, he noticed the rest of the staff, quickly scrambling to prepare the morning breakfast for the expected rush of guests in the dining hall. As his hands moved on auto-pilot, in a circular motion, his gaze was fixated on the staff outside. But his head was put back into manual gear as soon as he felt a moderately strong bump to the back of his head. David once again knocked on Simmons' head playfully as he said, "Don't go getting distracted by what's happening around you."

"Sorry."

"Just finish cleaning the dishes," David offered a smile. "Don't dwell on it."

David took the free spot beside Simmons and grabbed the cutting board, several ingredients and a well kept cutting blade. The blade cut clean through the freshly washed carrots with little resistance. Side by side, there was only silence that covered the area the two men occupied. David quickly looked at Simmons from the side of his eye and asked, "How are you managing in your own place now?"

"It's fine so far."

"You know, you didn't have to move out," David spoke with a saddened smile. "We would have been happy to continue providing you with a room here."

"I know, but I needed to leave and get out on my own," Simmons dried the dish that marked the halfway point for him. He gently rinsed the next one's soap off, and dried it. "How is the construction of your house going?"

"Oh-ho," David felt a sudden bubble of stress burst and shower him. "The construction on the house is quite the story. It's slow, and for whatever reason it has stayed that way, no matter how much we complain to hurry it up."

"Are the kids looking forward to the house?"

"Nah," David looked out the kitchen window towards Derek. "Well, to be frank, Sheila doesn't really care, but Derek is the one that's more or less very attached to this place."

"He must have grown quite fond of this place," said Simmons. "I also imagine that they will no doubt miss all the little details they have explored here, and all the things they were able to do here. Where as a new house would mean having to start from scratch basically."

* * *

"But that's life, gotta move on," David looked at the boiling pot from which steam echoed like a train's whistle. He left the cutting board to study the fine granularity of the freshly made oatmeal. Simmons took over the cutting duties as he was now done with the dishes. He watched David serve the oatmeal breakfast to his family and pondered back to Blood Gulch. _Donut used to serve us breakfast like that occasionally_. He looked down at the half cut carrot and placed the knife vertically atop it. With a quick clean cut, it went through the carrot's body. _Gotta move on_, David's words repeated in Simmons' head like a broken record, over and over again, and with each iteration, his voice got louder. From behind him, in a grovelled, aged voice he heard a man speak, "Are you happy with this daily drivel, Simmons?"

Simmons gazed back to see the shadow of his former mentor. Sarge stood still in his solid red armour. Simmons looked back down to the onion he was cutting. "You don't know anything. I'm happier right now than I have been as a soldier."

"Don't kid yourself," Sarge noted. "You are a terrible liar, you always have been."

"Listen here-," but before Simmons could say anymore, he stopped at the sudden dark mist surrounding Sarge. A dark visage overtook Sarge and his visor glowed red, nearly as bright as the morning sun, blindingly so. Sarge's voice deepened with a growl. "I know the truth Simmons. I will always come back to remind you of it, no matter how much you want to bury it, I will always come back."

Suddenly, a stray potato at the side of the cutting board felt the full brunt of the knife. A loud clang echoed against the cutting board as Simmons had made a clean cut through the potato. He looked down and took a deep breath. Those around him froze at the violent gesture for they too felt their hearts rush. It wasn't only Simmons who struggled to keep his heart in his chest. He gently rested the knife on the board with a confused stare, and with an equal measure of fear. He slowly looked up with much shame in his eyes. "Sorry."

Quickly, he left the kitchen. The other employees simply crossed their arms as one asked, "Is this another one of his episodes?"

"Yup," another confirmed. "Frankly it's becoming a little frustrating at this point."

"Only a little?" asked another.

* * *

Out at the dining table, Carolina served breakfast to her now tired daughter. "See, you shouldn't have run around so much first thing in the morning. Now you are all tuckered out. Eat your breakfast, it will give you more energy for later."

"Really?" Sheila inquired as she then took her spoon and dug in upon her mother's confirmation. "Then I will eat lots!"

David opened the door to the perch that overlooked the beach. A nice breeze welcomed him, as did the calm ocean waves. _Nice day to be out and about on the beach today_. He walked forward to meet Simmons' gaze who rested his whole body weight against the railing on the perch. David instantly noticed the sweat on Simmons' forehead. _Out here to calm down I see_. He stopped by Simmons' side and looked out at the calm ocean. The sun light glistened like fireflies, gently flying across the sky. "Simmons, was it the voices again?"

Simmons looked at the ex-freelancer and simply nodded in response. David then asked, "Have you been taking your medication to help with these episodes?"

"I have, but in lower dosages," he admitted. "The medicine only seems to worsen my performance in general."

David let out a worried sigh as he looked into Simmons' nearly soulless eyes. Simmons took a step back at the continued stare, a gaze so sharp that it felt like his very chest was being ripped open to see the feelings in his inner abyss by David. Simmons took a sharp right and began to walk back towards the building with a slight mumble. "I will get back to work now."

"Wait," David called out before his friend could stumble back into the kitchen and shook his head with a slight headache. _Worrying about you like this is also starting to affect me_. He turned back out towards the ocean and stretched his neck to hear a most satisfactory crackle. "Maybe you easing off your medication is not such a good idea Simmons. Your performance may already have been impacted."

"What?" Simmons asked with a quick look back, only to see David's back towards him. _Is my performance that bad, is my job in danger?_

* * *

Carolina looked out to the two men. _I hate to walk in on them like this_, but she had to. She knocked on the door to get their attention and motioned for David to come closer. As David walked towards her, Carolina's morning smile shifted towards Simmons. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"No, thank you," Simmons answered as he watched David and Carolina go back inside hand in hand. Carolina gently wiped Sheila's cheek and said, "Eat as much as you two like, there is still plenty. But be mindful of the time, we need to get ready to leave soon."

"Are you dropping them off today?" asked David.

"Yes," Carolina sat down beside her husband as they ate their breakfast in a timely manner. "It will be a busy morning today. It's not just the guests here, but many buses will be passing through with several passengers making pit stops here in the morning."

"And they will all be hungry probably," David replied. "A good opportunity for business."

"I guess my attitude has rubbed off on you a bit."

"Kind of hard to ignore that business mindset of yours," he smirked as he pointed up towards their bedroom. "Especially when you are always so busy chatting about how to grow the business."

Carolina lowered her head as her cheeks flared red. "I don't talk about the resort that much, do I?"

"Yes, you do Mrs. Washington," David teased as he gently pinched her nose. She in return kicked his shin, his eyes opened wide as he held back a squeal. _And some things have not changed about you_. Carolina cleaned her plate off and wiped her lips clean. "It is because of this mindset that the two of us were able to build our lodgings from the ground up."

David agreed with a nod as he too finished his plate. He looked back out to the lone figure outside. Carolina knew from just one look at her husband, that his earlier talk with Simmons bothered him. "How is Simmons holding up?"

David smiled at Sheila as she closed her eyes tightly and squinched her face at her mother's gentle wipes of Sheila's mouth. "Well, from talking to him, it seemed like he was holding up fine. But my guts say different."

Derek finished his plate and held it up with his lips tugging up from one end to the other. David's eyebrows held up in surprise as he reached over to give his son a gentle rub of the hair. "Good job Derek, that was faster than yesterday!"

Derek stared proudly at his parents with his mind off into its own world, satisfied with his achievement. Carolina reached over to gently tap his forehead. "Don't go around getting a big head. I dare you to do even better tomorrow. If you do, I will even throw in an ice cream as a prize."

Derek's ears perked up as he excitedly agreed. Sheila crossed her arms as she looked at her mother angrily. "I want an ice cream too, I bet I can eat faster tomorrow as well!"

"We will see you little squirt," Carolina grinned whilst taking Sheila into a big hug. Derek noticed his mother's phone on the table beside her plate and gently stood up in his chair. His hand crawled over to her spot but his plan to get the device was quickly foiled by Carolina. "No playing with electronics while we are eating."

Derek sat back down with his arms crossed. He stared away from his mother, at the empty space to his left as he breathed out a heavy, irritated breath. David stood up to rub his son's back and patted it. "Cheer up, check out the view outside Derek. It's looking like it will be a great day again today. Maybe you can even play outside once you get back from school."

"Yeah," Derek replied in a soft voice. He stood up to rest his body against the glass door to see the inviting beach. "I wish I could go there right now."

He already imagined himself being engulfed in the blue, and clean water of the ocean that vibrated with the sunlight piercing through the surface. Simmons still gazed out at the waves as he quickly slapped the sides of his face with a shake. _I gotta focus_. He decided to head back inside where he saw David and Carolina share a parting morning kiss. The kids followed their mother closely as the trio left for the parking lot. David walked back inside and gently patted his friend on the back. "Are you alright now?"

"I guess," Simmons answered passively. "I should get back to work since the guests will be coming down soon."

* * *

As he entered the kitchen, a pink figure stood before him. Donut blocked his way to the cutting board. _Again with this shit?_ Simmons closed shut his eyes as he gritted his teeth. David watched the ex-sim trooper frozen still. _You are not alright, my friend, you are not alright_. As Simmons strangely walked around thin air, Donut took a sharp turn. Simmons continued his work. Donut looked at the neatly cut vegetables and tried to reach for one, only for it to phase right through him. "How are you able to live with yourself like this everyday Simmons?"

Silence was Simmons' answer. Donut then continued, "You know what you feel, you know about the past that haunts you and how it defines your right now."

Again, silence greeted the pink one. Donut laughed to himself as he walked to Simmons' other side and leaned closer. "Just how long do you think this strong conviction of yours will continue to last in the future, especially when you will eventually succumb to all the pressure around you?"

Simmons reached into his pockets and grabbed a medications bottle. Donut shook his head with pity. "You are a shell. You will fall and never rise again, that much is an inevitability!"

Simmons quickly popped one pill and swallowed with determination to make them disappear. Donut saw the fire in Simmons' eyes, however temporary and bleak it was. "We will return again Simmons. You will pay for your crimes and failures."

Simmons closed shut his eyes and opened them again only to find that the pink one has vanished. Simmons walked over to his work station and punched the cutting board with his fists, surprising all. As the many gazes of surprise and shock beamed in his direction, he quietly got back to work for the morning rush had started.

* * *

**A/N: What did you think about Simmons' working life and his job back here on Earth?**

**Did you ever imagine him being in this position both in terms of career and emotionally?**

**I know that not a whole lot happened in this chapter, but I hope it helps to establish a bit more of the setting for Simmons after he left Blood Gulch. Next chapter, you will finally see the return of Tucker!**

**I appreciate all constructive feedback, thank you!**

**Thank you for taking the time to read!**

**~ Monty**


	4. Chapter 3: The Vacationing Soldier

**Chapter 3: Tucker the Vacationing Soldier**

In the hot blazing sky, several Banshees flew like deadly mosquitoes. To them, those on the beach down below were mere ants. The sharp smell of fresh plasma radiated from the pile of ashes all around. Human soldiers pointed their guns up into the air, and as they fought for survival, they fired upon their chosen targets. Bullet casings fell upon the soft, and wet sand. Screams yelled all around, screams of foolish bravery, and for many others, of impending death. It was only a matter of time, they all knew that any one of them could be the one of many flying bodies in the skies. Lifted up like a rag doll, tossed back down to the ground like a heavy sack. In the middle of all this chaos, the aqua sim trooper, Tucker, lied with his eyes dug deep into the sand as his vision was darkened all around inside his visor. Tucker slowly looked up as the darkness gave way to the light. His mouth fell wide open as he felt the ground shake once more. _No_, he pondered with a panicked gaze all around. _I'm back here again, back on this fucking beach, why?!_

Yes, to him this was a memory he remembered crystal clear. It was the day where he lost most of his family to the blasted extremists. It was the same beach where he saw Grif break down at the sight of his dead sister. It was the same beach where he witnessed so many things go downhill so fast, faster than he could process. He slowly stood up. Thanks to the shock waves that constantly pounded his body against the ground, he felt every muscle ache. He moved forward to find the rest of his comrades from Blood Gulch stare up in absolute silence, one of dread. He too followed their direction of gaze and nearly fell back as the sound got louder, and closer. It screamed like a strong gust of wind, a sharp current of water. The Banshees neared at an angle, aimed directly at the BGC. Tucker looked all around and shouted, "Hit the sand!"

He jumped forward onto his chest and landed hard with a thud. He gritted his teeth to hold back a groan and took notice of the man in front of him. The ODST soldier in front was unable to react, terrified beyond anything he had ever faced before. Tucker held out a hand as he shouted at the top of his lungs for the soldier's name. "Mike!"

But Mike did not listen, he simply stood like a frozen statue as he gazed up to the nearing death. Tucker cursed under his own breath, he stood up and quickly pushed Mike down with him just as the enemy released a barrage of plasma fire. As the shots hit against the ground, the sand flew into the air, Tucker felt a sudden emptiness beneath his body. Mike's body that once occupied the spot was no more. He once again stood in front of Tucker. _What the fuck?_ Tucker looked on in horror as Mike's body lit up in a bright orange glow. Fire erupted from the cracks in his armour as his screams agonized Tucker's ears. A green plasma glow followed the trails the fire made. Inch by inch, his body faded into ash as it fell down, particle by particle. Only the ash remained. Tucker reached out with his tongue held back, at a loss. He felt the sand and the ash mixture move beneath his fingers with the constant shake of his head. _I thought I had changed the situation, I thought I saved him. It shouldn't have gone like this, I changed what happened!_

* * *

Tucker awoke with a sudden jolt as his body then quickly sank back into the bed. The sounds of the alarm clock, a pleasant bird's chirping sang in the room. He slowly picked himself up and groaned as the pressure eased on the one side of his body. He wiped a build up of sweat that he felt from the most subtle of movements, like a thin layer of water on concrete, in the midst of a rainy day. The sheets on the bed were ruffled all around with creasing formed on every inch of the bed sheets. _I must have moved around a lot in my sleep_. He looked at his hand, now wet from the sweat and quickly formed a fist in frustration. Tucker slowly moved off the bed and switched out the sheets for new ones, and made his way to the bathroom. In the mirror, he saw red in his eyes. _How is it that a nightmare affected the quality of my sleep so much?_

He took a wet towel and wiped his face clean and dried at the same time. _The stress is finally beginning to catch up perhaps_. He washed his face clean, brushed his teeth and took a quick shower to relieve him of all the congesting pressure he felt around his sides from his sleep. Outside, he snapped on the individual armour pieces to the under skin and finally put on his helmet. _How have I managed to keep it together for these past two years, especially with the newbies around now?_

"The nightmare again?" asked Church as the fragment formed from the binary to a physical representation beside him. "Hmm, your bio scans indicate an increased heart rate, and signs of panic."

"Well a good morning to you too," Tucker commented as he took a step back from his friend in slight disapproval. As Tucker turned to walk away, Church popped up in front of him once more. "You didn't answer the question, come on."

"And I told you to not go poking around in my body with your scanners unless necessary," Tucker replied as he stepped around Church and left the room. Church followed closely and said, "Well, it seemed necessary. Any time we think you are unwell or in danger, its in our protocol to conduct these scans."

"Protocols which you modified," Tucker shot back. Church slumped his shoulders with a loud sigh and spoke, "Fine, I admit it, I did it. But only because I was worried about you guys, I still am. So, are you going to answer or not?"

* * *

Tucker entered the kitchen and found a note, written in Junior's hand writing, on the bright green coloured dining table. He looked towards the fridge and smirked underneath his helmet. _You should let your old man make his own food while he is here, and not be such a burden to you_. He opened the fridge and was instantly greeted by a smooth, richly flavoured smell that created a smile on his face. _Thanks for looking out for me, son. You have grown to be reliable_. He took off the plastic wrapping around the plate and heated up the food. As it heated, he found his mouth water for this local dish as it was an instant hit with him since the day he landed here. He took a fork and dug straight in. As it made contact with his taste buds, it left a sweet taste, but a sour aftertaste quickly followed when it left on its journey for Tucker's digestive system. The meat in the dish was moist and chewy, same could be said for the beans. This combo made for a most satisfying eating experience every time he had the dish. Tucker held the plate high up to his mouth and slowly tilted it up. The juices left behind by the dish were an added bonus, an additional gift one would initially not expect to live up to the same tastiness. As he set the plate back down, he rubbed his belly slowly only for a loud burp to escape.

"Gross," commented Church. But he was quickly silenced as Tucker waved a finger in the air. "No, that is a sign of a well made, and a well eaten dish."

He firmly placed his helmet back on and looked out the open windows. "What should I do for the rest of the day?"

He took in a deep breath and sighed in thought. "It won't be until the afternoon that Junior returns from the embassy."

"Um, how about we continue about what we were chatting in the morning?" Church inquired. Tucker shook his head in annoyance as he turned to leave, but was quickly stopped by the fiery fragment, as Sigma came out of stasis in a burst of flames. "I agree with Epsilon. If we are to continue performing efficiently, it is better that we have open communication."

Church looked at his roommate fragment with a long and paused gaze before asking, "Sig, are you alright?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"I just thought that you would be more...you know, manipulative about the whole situation."

"Epsilon, you offend me," Sigma responded as he shot a sharp glare in Church's direction. "I have no such thoughts. I have spent long enough with Tucker now to know that manipulating others doesn't result in anything good. It is only by working together do things ever get resolved."

"Wow," Church moved forward to his companion and gently patted him on the back. "You really surprised me there Sig. Didn't think I would ever see this day, feels strange, like I'm a proud parent or something."

"Get a room already, why don't you?" Tucker mused as he left the house to the open streets. The streets were brightly lit, but he still saw the traces of the two moons that circled this colony, barely visible like transparent dots under the sun's gaze. With each step forward, he found himself being crushed under the overwhelming stares of those around him. While those who had dared to venture out into the universe, encounter different species paid him no mind outside of a kind morning greeting, others felt attracted to him like a bolt to a magnet. Many children Sangheilians also pointed at the aqua armoured figure with curiosity as their mothers would quickly slap those fingers back down. Tucker could only nod, and smirk underneath his helmet in kind. "I don't think I will ever get used to the immediate stares I get here whenever I step out."

"It is only natural for a sentient being to be curious about those that look different from themselves," Sigma commented as the two fragments followed closely on Tucker's shoulders. The blue soldier stopped at a moderately busy street and took note of the star like design, separating the streets into many different directions. In the middle was a big light post with many other lights hanging off to six directions in total. _It must look pretty under complete darkness when it's lit up_, pondered Tucker. He took note of the brick roads all around, _simple_. The buildings too fashioned a simple sense of decor, and no fancy designs on the outside. It was all kept so simple. _I like it_. He continued his morning walk and took a turn into a street he never had gone down before. It was far less crowded, but that did not stop those around from looking in his general direction. _Funny, even though there are less of them around, their stares feel even heavier now_. He saw a small alley opening and hurried his way inside.

"Where are you going?" asked Church. Tucker looked back and shimmied his way along the alley till he finally exited through to the other end. "Don't know, but I just don't want to be stared at for a while now. So somewhere away from the crowds."

"Strange, I have not seen this street before," Sigma pointed out as he projected the map of the colony for all to see. Church rubbed his chin in thought and suggested, "We should turn back, better to not get lost."

"Oh come on," Tucker moaned as he began walking forward. "I don't want to go back. Plus, lets just call this a little detour."

"Detour to where exactly?" Church crossed his arms in annoyance as he groaned to himself. "You know, a detour is only effective if you know it will take you to your destination. What exactly is your destination in this case?"

"Who knows, who cares?" Tucker waved back as he left the fragments hovering behind him. They quickly followed as Church held up a hand and said, "Uh, me, I care."

"Doesn't hurt to be curious once in a while about exploring a new area, Church."

"I hate it when you get like this," Church looked back and marked their footsteps on the map, a reassurance. Tucker noticed his friend's activity and chuckled underneath his breath. "Thanks for looking out for us."

"Someone has too," Church snarled back, leaving a huge smile on Tucker's face. As they continued to walk, slowly having reached an incline leading them uphill, Tucker stopped to take a break. "It's a shame that there are no chicks here."

Church quickly sighed as he holographic-ally bumped his fist against Tucker's helmet. "Are chicks really the only thing on your mind right now, seriously?"

The blue-sapphire fragment pointed out to their surroundings and noted, "Take in the sights, enjoy your vacation and the scenery around."

"I'm taking in the sights," Tucker replied with a finger pointed at his pal. "It's just that I like the other kind of sightseeing better."

"Well Tucker, there are plenty of chicks here too you know."

"Dude, I'm over the whole fucking aliens thing," Tucker said as he quickly protected his crotch. "That was a one-time thing to fulfill some dumb ass prophecy. But at least it wasn't all a waste, I did get Junior out of it."

"Gentlemen," Sigma suddenly interrupted as he formed beside the two. "I have scouted ahead and I believe that you will be pleased with the results of our little trek."

"Really?" Tucker wondered as he quickly stood back up and continued walking. "Now I'm really curious if you are recommending it Sig."

* * *

Tucker continued up the hill. With every step forward, he felt his muscle work harder than before. He finally reached the peak as it quickly turned into a downhill run. He stopped atop the hill and looked at the scenery with his eyes widened, and his mouth open in awe. Sigma stood by the various perfections and the lack of deterioration on the materials. "This street hardly sees much use."

"Yeah," Church agreed whilst walking around to observe the objects all around. "You could consider this street to be brand new, only weathered by natural elements mostly."

Tucker quickly covered his visor as he felt the sharp, yet warm glare of the sun come over his head. He walked a little forward to get a better look of the view. In front of him stood nearly the whole colony, captured all through this one street. He stared in complete silence, as the two fragments soon joined him. Tucker felt his legs nearly give out from the complete calm around him. He took in a deep breathe and out. Church nodded his head and said, "It wasn't such a bad idea taking this detour after all then."

"Yeah," Tucker spoke as he felt his eyelids close halfway, and a smile stretch from one end to the next. "There are still things to be discovered in this universe."

Church looked up to his friend and back out to the view. _Yeah, you got that right_. He looked down at the ground with his shoulder slumped. "You know, I hate to be the one to do this over and over again, but Tucker, tell me."

The aqua soldier looked in the direction of his friend. Church looked up and made sure to stand with a firm pose. "Was it the same nightmare again this morning?"

Tucker smirked underneath his helmet, followed with a sigh. "Yeah."

Church instantly looked at Sigma, who knew his next course of action. The burning fragment quickly silenced and went to sleep. Church looked back up after having confirmed Sigma's status. "You should think about going to the health center here, Tucker. They maybe able to tell you some sort of technique to control, or even get rid of your nightmares."

"You know that I don't like the idea of getting myself admitted," Tucker moaned. "Plus, I can handle it."

"I wonder if you really can," Church commented as he crossed his arms with a higher voice. "Or if you are just putting on airs."

"Dude, chill, I know what I'm doing."

"I'm just worried about you is all," Church replied as he held up his hands in front of him. "I don't want to repeat the things I experienced with Carolina, or at least what the previous iterations of me experienced."

Tucker calmed his nerves with gentle breathing. "It won't be the same. I have people waiting for me to come back home. I know that they will help should I need it. Plus, I have Junior right now as well. And both you and Sigma."

"Wh-," Church nearly choked at what he was hearing. "Wow, I didn't think you could care like this bud. But as long as you understand I suppose, good."

Tucker chuckled loudly and he pointed at his small companion. "It's cute on how you stuttered like that, and how you tend to look away when you do."

* * *

As the time whittled away, the day turned to the afternoon golden hour. Tucker stood before his son's home with a satisfied grin on his face. _All in all, this wasn't such a bad day_. He looked at the locals all around who gave a friendly wave. His day was indeed a satisfactory one for he visited more locations unknown to him, talked with locals that were once strangers to him and became a part of their community, even if only by a little. He rested his helmet on the kitchen table, prepared a fresh batch of tea and washed his face in the washroom. The front door opened to his notice as he dried his face. Inside walked his large and proud son, who fashioned an aqua coloured armour as well. The Sangheilian took notice of the helmet and asked, "Father, you are home?"

"Yeah," Tucker walked out to greet his son. "How was the day?"

"Good," Junior answered as he noticed the kettle's steam escape violently. He rushed over to take it off the heat and poured them both a cup. Tucker took his cup and gently sipped down the herbal liquid. "This tea is really good, hits the spot in the afternoon."

"I like tea in the afternoon like this," Junior commented to which Tucker simply nodded. Junior checked the time and quickly the fridge. "Uh oh, looks like we don't have anything here. Do you want to go out for dinner father?"

"Sure," Tucker quickly gulped his tea down and fastened his helmet on to his head. "Where would you recommend going to?"

"How about the local diner I told you about, you know, the one that is best in the whole colony?"

"And the one you go to regularly," Tucker chuckled as he patted his son on the back and led them both out the door. "I remember, let's hit that spot tonight then."

As the two men walked towards the brightly lit diner now in sight, Tucker scooted closer to his son and gently elbowed him on his chest with a wide grin. "So, do you bring any girls to this place then?"

Junior's face instantly turned red as he diverted his gaze from his father to the flower gardens along to his right. Tucker's grin only grew wider. The two entered the diner and were greeted by a warm, welcoming atmosphere as a waitress came to get them. She showed the two men to their seats. Sitting opposite to one another, Tucker studied the menu with great interest. "So, what's her name son?"

Junior's blush returned once more as he looked up from the menu rather slowly. In a low voice, he whispered, "Rheai."

"Sounds cute," Tucker thought out loud. The two men put in their orders as the waitress then quickly went to the kitchen. Tucker looked out the window to see the night fanfare the markets experienced. The streets that were once bustling during the day were more in numbers, but tonight was not that bad either. He tapped his finger on the table and traced along a random pattern. "Tell me, is it serious or just something casual?"

Junior visibly shook in his seat. It was clear to Tucker that his son felt uncomfortable in this situation. _But I gotta do this for your own good as well_. Junior rested his chin against his fingers and pondered the response. "I'm serious about her, and she is serious about me, although we have just started dating."

"Oh, come on, hurry up and marry her," Tucker moaned as he flopped the top half of his body across the table. "I can't wait to see my grand kids' faces."

Junior instantly froze as if he was touched by ice cold metal. His face was visibly red, no mistaking it. So red in fact that one could mistake it for a hot, glowing coil gas stove put on high. Tucker eyed his son from his side and quickly alerted the whole diner to his loud laughter. "You should have seen your face. Man, you should be used to this by now since the school I sent you to did cover sex ed quite extensively."

"Sure," Junior mumbled. "For humans that is."

"The idea remains the same kiddo," Tucker sat back up as he playfully pointed his finger towards Junior. "Try not to get so flustered about this sort of thing."

As the plates of food arrived, the two men quietly dug in. Halfway through his plate, Tucker rested the fork to the side and looked up. "Son, listen closely."

Junior was rather surprised to find such a serious tone permeate from his father's words. He too stopped and paid full attention. Tucker looked out the window and with a deep breath. He nodded to himself and then said, "Should you and Rheai get to the point of marriage, be sure to make the decision wisely. It's a huge, life changing choice after all."

Junior bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you for your words father, I will be considerate of my choices. Plus, I have a great example to learn from, of what not to do when it comes to women."

Tucker quickly stabbed the dish, nearly cracking the plate in the process as he held back the urge to respond loudly. He bit his tongue and said, "You know, I'm so glad to hear that."

Their meal continued once more in silence. Junior studied his nearly empty plate and took a sip of the cold water. He sighed in satisfaction as cold water always helped to wash the food down easily. He looked up at his father, who was very much so focused on the steak before him. "Father, I have been meaning to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" asked Tucker as he took a big chunk of the steak into his mouth. He felt the mouth watering juices flood his taste buds, and release joy from his pleasure centres. Junior cleared his throat as he placed his utensils to the side. "I know you haven't been sleeping properly."

A loud cough suddenly originated from their table as Tucker hit his chest hard and reached for the water. "Where did that come from, have you been watching me sleep, and haven't you heard of subtlety?"

"No, I haven't been watching you sleep father," Junior held up a hand in denial. "I can hear you moaning and moving about in your bed often in the night. Sometimes, you even kick the wall. It's not that hard to miss such sounds in my home."

Tucker rested his knife and fork by the plate's side and looked up with a thankful smile, yet his eyes also displayed guilt. "So I made you worry about your old man huh, I'm glad I raised you the way I did. But don't worry son, I will handle it somehow."

"I just want to help you dad."

Tucker quickly reached over the table and gently fist bumped his son's head. "I'm grateful for your concern, and that's enough for now kiddo. I know how to best handle this, and I think its best I do so back in the canyon. Right now, I just want to enjoy whatever time I have left here with you, this is my vacation after all!"

"When do you leave?"

"I still have three days before my return flight," Tucker answered as he finished his final bite. Junior crossed his arms and nodded with a strong resolve. "Then lets make it your best three days here!"

Junior called for the waitress to take the dishes away and present the bill. He quickly instructed her to put both the meals on one bill against Tucker's protests and made the payment. "Let me treat you once in a while father, you have done so for me so many times."

Tucker almost relented before being told to quieten down by Church and simply accept the kindness. Junior held the door open to the brisk night and looked up at the two moons. "For these three days, I will take you to all sorts of places, meet all sorts of people and I will also bring Rheai to meet with you...maybe on your last day here to get your blessings."

Tucker smirked underneath the helmet as he shrugged his shoulder. "You know that you already have my blessings son, because you have always done the right thing till now. You have always been smart about things."

"But I still want to get your blessings for us."

"Okay, I will be happy to talk with her," Tucker gently patted his son on the back as the two walked down the near empty streets. "But you should know, my Sangheili will be weak."

"She knows English as she works in the same embassy as me," Junior reassured Tucker. "She deals with Earth on a regular basis."

"Multi-lingual," Tucker spoke very impressed. "I can't wait to meet her, I will be looking forward to it."

The two men disappeared into the night and back into the comfort of their warm beds.

* * *

**A/N: I wanted to explore a bit more of the nice father-son relationship between Tucker and Junior here, hope you enjoyed it!**

**It was never really explored much in the show, and I hadn't explored it before either, so I figured that now was a good time to show their bond, and how Junior is moving forward in life as well. Overall, hope you enjoyed this slice of life aspect to the chapter. What did you like the most about it?**

**Catch you in the next one!**

**~ Monty**


	5. Chapter 4: Grif has a Visitor

**Chapter 4: Grif has a Visitor**

He looked at his orange armoured feet. The concrete floor below echoed a feeling of reminiscence. As the sun glared off his side visor, he looked up from the concrete squares to see a railroad track at the very edge of the structure he occupied. _The station_, he pondered. _The same station that I used when I was younger to run away and join the army_. He stood up to see the tracks on both sides lead off into a far, far away distance. He walked forward to see the vibrant green prairie fields, with a single tree to the left and a small pond. And from one end to the other, the limitless stretch of the tracks created a very uneventful feeling. _What is it that I'm hoping for by being out here, why have I waited so long here?_

_I came here after taking the first bus I could out of the city_, he pondered with a deep breath. He walked back to his seat and sat his weight down upon it. _Why am I back here?_

A yellow foot came into his peripheral vision, and it inched closer to his own. He followed the yellow foot up to notice the yellow armour that was attached to it. _Kaikaina..._, he pondered as he met her distracted stare. She too looked out into the distance with her hands placed gently together on her lap. He looked out to the field and sat up straight. _Are you taken aback by this view as well?_

"Big bro," she said, finally breaking the silence as she had his full attention. "Why did you leave us, why did you leave mom and me?"

Grif stood up to see her follow his every action now. "I, I-"

"Why did you let me die?" she asked, no malice was present, no emotions, just the curiosity to get answers to her desperate questions. She stood up to meet his level, held his arms tightly and stared like a predatory hawk. Grif instantly turned his head back out towards the prairies. He looked at the horizon of the grass and gradually increased the strength to his arms. He broke free, nearly tripping back in the process. Grif quickly created some distance between them as he held his hands close, closed off and afraid. "I left because I just needed to get away from everything that was happening with our family at that time in my life!"

"You know," she whispered, she stepped closer as he stepped back in response. She inched closer again and he further away. She rushed up until he hand no more room to run. Mere centimetres away, he felt the intensity of her glare from behind her visor even though her eyes were covered. She clenched her hands into fists and shouted at the top of her lungs, "You are a coward!"

Grif let her voice die down slowly, and as it quietened and her breaths calmed, he gently nodded his head. "You are right, I'm a coward. But you are wrong about me leaving you to die, I never left you to die!"

"But I'm dead," she pushed her fist against his chest. He gripped the point of contact as it left an instant mark of stinging pain. Sister held her brother by his collar armour and pulled him back further into the station. "You didn't try hard enough to stop it from happening, you failed, you failed not only yourself, or me, but also mom. You are a failure!"

As Grif made heavy contact with the concrete blocks, he let out a gruff moan. A most unpleasant snap echoed from his shoulder much to his dismay. He turned to face her once more, but she was no more. He was alone, all alone on the station again. But the loud creaking of the metal alerted his senses as he stared to his left only to see the Pelican wreckage. His heart beat quickened, his breath deepened and he felt his legs shake with absolute terror, as if his worst possibility has come to life. The noises of the wind had stopped, and the echoes of the hull had died down. There was only a long, desperate, and a pained moan escape the various confines of the Pelican. The muffled moan, that the Pelican failed to hold back caused the orange soldier to stand in quiet.

"Why?"

His eyes widened at the whisper he heard. He shook his head and quickly covered his ear pieces.

"Where are you big bro?" Sister's weep escaped the Pelican, as her attempts to remain strong failed and the pain took over her body. "Am I dying? Where is my big brother? I don't want to die like this."

_I know, I know Kaikaina..._, he gripped his chest tightly for it began to lit a fire on his body. His whole body was coated in an unbearable heat as he felt his blood pressure rise, and his legs slowly gave out and he fell back into the chair. _I know you didn't want to die_.

* * *

Grif's eyes suddenly split open as he stared at the blank wall, that stared back at him. He looked at the emptiness of the wall, and evaluated the emptiness within him. Like a mirror, the wall reflected, and like a coward, he filtered out the undesired. He turned his head towards the door at loud sounds outside. _Laughter, I wonder when it was I last did that?_

Back towards the wall, he rested his head atop his forearm and wondered, _how nice it would be to not be constantly haunted by those long gone_. He suddenly heard someone clearing their throat. From the voice alone he knew who it was. As the red figure bent down by his bedside, he was asked, "How long do you plan on being a lazy potato, numb nuts?"

Grif remained quiet as he squeezed his body to the center of its gravity. His limbs drew close to one another like a magnet, into a fetal position. Sarge shook his head and said, "If you keep going like this, you will turn into jelly. You will certainly become someone not worthy of anyone's respect, and most certainly, you will never be a leader."

"I have already lost the respect of some," Grif stated. "What does a few more matter?"

Sarge stood up and walked around the room, carefully avoiding the littered pieces of garbage from the chips, sweets and junk food. "I don't recall having such a pessimistic soldier on my team. You had grown out of it."

"Then you never bothered looking well enough," Grif rebutted as he watched the ex-red leader dance about the room. Sarge walked closer and bent down to be close to Grif's ears. "Maybe you are right, but what would Simmons think if he saw this, especially after leaving you in charge?"

In a sudden motion, Grif turned around from the wall to see Sarge already on the other side of the room. The orange one gritted his teeth and stood up with heavy footsteps. "You know what, I never asked to be the leader!"

Grif pointed out at the red figure and felt his valves release. "It was Simmons' selfishness that put this burden on me, I never wanted to lead or anything. I just wanted to live my life in peace!"

He quickly picked up a nearby pen with a tight grip. "You, you are nothing but a useless ghost!"

He threw it with a strong motion as it flew with the sharp tip first. The hallucination quickly dissipated into a red foggy mist. Grif felt his heart beat hard against his chest as he breathed in deep, and out. He sat down by his bed side and held his forehead with a splitting headache. "Fuck me, fuck you, fuck everything..."

* * *

In the center of the canyon, a giant mantis robot followed diligently behind the blue soldier, Caboose. Freckles happily blinked his flashlight as a sign of joy for this was their fourth round today out on their walk. Sheila surveyed their surrounding area, and noted how beautiful the day seemed, however it did so like any other day. Caboose looked back up to the giant robot and agreed, "Although you look very metallic and beautiful today Sheila, way more pretty than the weather!"

"Oh my," Sheila became flustered as she gently turned her body away. "Thank you for your compliment Private Caboose."

"So, are you ready to meet new people now?"

"No," she instantly answered only to meet his child like moans. He stomped his foot and asked, "When will you be ready?"

She stared at the blue soldier in silence as the words became too sparse and difficult to formulate. Caboose looked down at Freckles and stared back up with a manly determination she rarely saw in him. "I'm next in line, and I don't want to miss my chance!"

"I would advise against discussing this any further Captain Caboose," Freckles noted as he sensed Sheila's discomfort. "You lack tact at the moment."

Sheila let out a rare laughter that very few are ever graced with in person. She bent down to Freckle's level and leaned closer. "Freckles, if you had a body of your own outside of being a gun, I may reconsider seeing new people again."

"Wh- what about me?" Caboose moaned as he hid Freckles behind him. Sheila stood back up with a thoughtful sigh. "Private Caboose, I see you as a very good friend, but nothing more. I hope that has made things clear once and for all."

"Oh," his head tilted down towards the ground. His once manly stance weakened into a young boy not knowing what to do next, terrified of the rejection he just received. His head lowered even further as he felt a frown on his face. Sheila bent down once again and gently tapped his shoulder with her arm cannon. "You are a sweet guy Caboose, you will find someone eventually that is just the right fit for you."

"Well I would rather it be you," he mumbled. She stood back up and continued to walk ahead of the two. "I have a play date with Daisy now. We promised to paint one another's nails, it's so exciting!"

"How would someone with no hands paint their nails?" Caboose pondered as Sheila disappeared towards Red base. Freckles echoed a noticeable static as his sound system started. "Perhaps she could always get her arm cannons painted instead."

"Oh, that's good thinking," Caboose rested the bottom of his fist against his palm. "I hope she gets the colour blue. Blue is the best colour of them all!"

* * *

Atop Blue base, Cholo and Marcus stood to stare out into the event-less canyon. Marcus crossed his arms in frustration as the heat began to get to him. "Hey, do you ever wonder why we stand up here like idiots all the time? I mean, surely we can be doing something better with our lives right now."

Cholo stood still, his intense gaze out towards Red base caused his partner to tilt his head in curiosity. "Hello, Cholo, you there?"

"Shh," Cholo reached out to place a finger of Marcus' helmet. As the displeasure became evident by the way of a violent grip, Marcus too looked in the direction of the Red base. "What's going on over there right now that you felt the need to earn this punishment?"

"I give in, I give in, please let go of the Mexican man!" Cholo begged as he rubbed his finger upon release. "Can't you hear it, the sounds of running water?"

Marcus leaned over the roof, stretched his body out in the direction of the Red base and placed one hand near his ear. "I don't hear anything."

"Of course you wouldn't my dear Marcus," Cholo smuggly replied. "This skill takes years of training and _punishment_."

"Punish- ooh," Marcus quickly turned away, threw his hands behind his back and walked towards the entrance entrance of Blue base. Cholo jumped down to the surprise of Marcus. "Where are you going?"

Cholo looked back as he ran in the direction of the Red base. "I will be back in a bit!"

His eyes were wide opened, nose sniffed about and a tail perked up he rushed towards Red base. Like a curious dog, he reached to one of the sides of the base. Marcus stared in awe. "Talk about motivation, I bet he could even beat Caboose in a race if this was the prize."

Cholo stealthily moved about with his back against the wall. He scooted over to his right, slowly as he noticed some steam escape an open window. _Oh, this is it, the prize is just there within my reach_. He slowly rose to the height of the window where he saw the golden birdie. _It's Bonnie, in the shower, jackpot! Would have been better if it was Daisy, but Bonnie is kind of cute as well_. His nose flared with excitement, the blood rushed downward just as he caught a peek of her butt. _Just a little higher_, he thought, and just as he seemingly reached his goal, she instantly turned to face him. His face went pale, she lessened the distance between them with her dead pan fish eyed glare. His first response, panic, his next response, salute her. "G-Good day Bonnie, nice day we are having right?"

He pointed back and forth from the Red base to himself. "I was just doing the rounds to make sure everything is in order, good news, it is."

"Oh really?" Daisy inquired from behind him as she held him in a tight grip by his shoulders. "So peeking on Bonnie was a part of this patrol of yours?"

"Maybe, glad to report everything is in order there as well."

"There as well?"

"Her body," he sheepishly smiled underneath the helmet. "Great news, she is a perfectly healthy female."

His smile was quickly wiped as soon as he saw Bonnie exit the base, wrapped in a towel. "Am I now?"

Cholo knew what was to come next as he swallowed a bit of his own saliva. He braced himself for the worst. Bonnie quickly raised one leg and smashed his head against the ground. He looked up at her from the side of his eyes, and he did his best to be quiet. "Oh, pink with frills, cute."

_God dammit, why can't I keep quiet in situations like these?!_ He pondered as he visibly saw her face flare up like a volcano, exploding into the air. She raised her foot once more, and like the hammer of judgment in a court, she let it fall on his face a great many times. The last restraint was long gone, she lifted him up and punched him in the stomach with a whisper, "You do realize that you are a dead man, right?"

"I have seen too much, clearly."

"I'm glad that you understand your position so well," Bonnie growled as she continued to punch and bitch-slap him. Marcus watched the scene from afar with a huge grin cracked on his face. _Man, I wish I had some popcorn with me right now, this is much better than just the two of us standing up here like retarded mooks all day long_.

Bonnie held him up high to the surprise of Daisy. Even she sometimes forgot just how strong Bonnie had gotten in basic training, and how well she had maintained her fitness. Bonnie balled one hand into a fist, lowered it to her side and quickly let it cut through the air as it slashed upwards into a falcon punch!

With a loud, high-pitched scream, the Mexican man flew high up into the air, as free as a wingless bird. A punch that was strong enough to send him all the way across the canyon sent shivers down Marcus' spine. "I sure wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that."

Cholo landed face first atop Blue base's roof. A small fountain of crimson spluttered out from Cholo's head. Marcus could only imagine there to be a pit of blood with a teeny tiny brain somewhere in there, a yet an unknown discovery. Marcus bent down beside him as he poked his friend's still body. "You still alive?"

A shaky thumb up rose into the air as he gargled up some blood. "I have seen the beautiful gates of pleasure that can never be unseen now Marcus, it was amazing. But now, I need you to do me a favour, get a medic...ugh...please...glargh!"

"Well you can talk, so that's a good sign for you at least."

"Please, the medic, I may have experienced brain damage."

"If only that were the case, it would be a blessing in disguise," Marcus chuckled as he quickly retreated into the base for the emergency medical care bag.

* * *

On Earth, a lone island stood in the middle of a violent ocean. The waves crashed hard against the rocks, and retreated just as wildly. At one edge of the island, there stood a concrete dock. A loud echo of a boat was nearly dulled out by the sharp gust of the wind. At the edge of the dock, stood a man in the standard issue ODST uniform, however lightly armoured for he was no soldier, but a prison guard. He looked down beneath his feet as he gently tapped the concrete edge and found tiny pieces crumble away. _Hmph, this place just keeps on falling apart and the warden doesn't bother to do anything about it, not that there is money for it to begin with_. The boat parked against the side of the dock, and the guard inside exited to lead the prisoners out. Many of the prisoners peered up at the sky to take notice of the high metallic walls, that surround the prison. One of the prisoners hissed under his own breath as he spat into the ocean. "What a fucking place to end up in. Fuck that lawyer and judge!"

"Get used to it," the guard replied as he stared back at the group. "This will be your new home. That goes for all of you, get used to seeing these walls!"

The overpowering entrance to the prison left them all at the mercy of what little kindness may reside behind these walls. One by one, they walked past the entrance to the stares of the other prisoners in the yard lots, and the guards on duty in the towers and walkways above.

"Welcome sweetheart, nice ass!" shouted one of the prisoners as the group kept their head low, and followed the guard in front like a flock of sheep. The guards all looked at the new batch with contempt. One shook his head as he continued his rounds. "Great, more leeches to take up space on this island."

An elderly man followed the crowd with his head lowered. He gazed from one sides to the other occasionally, as the group neared the entrance to the prison building. In the search area, they all stripped bare as the guards analyzed the prisoners for any clues of suspicious items. The older man left the examination room to gather his new prison clothes, an orange uniform with several black stripes. Next was the health examination room, where following that was the shedding of his hair, the act of stripping one's freedom he once experienced as a successful UNSC commander. He left the barber to meet the curious, yet contempt filled gazes of the others. The ex-UNSC commander looked to the TV monitors around and saw his picture with crystal clear clarity. He stopped to read the headlines that made him famous in recent memory. "Corrupt UNSC Commander has been put away for life, could face an execution order should his crimes be found guilty of such a measure. That's nice of them to say."

_I did what was necessary_, he thought. _Yet you people never seemed to realize that. I made sure that we won against the extremist Sangheilis. I was the one to push harder than anyone else to make sure that you all remained free and complacent in your convenient lifestyles_. The prisoners saw the older man, being guided by two ODST officers to his cell. One of them commented as they mulled over their bowl of corn. "He is in hell now."

"Should we create a welcoming party for him?" asked another. The group of prisoners surrounding that one all laughed in agreement. "Let's give him a warm welcome from his fellow prison mates then."

In one of the many cell blocks, the three men entered upon instructions from the block guards. The ODST prison guards were situated on both front and back of the old man. The guard in the back looked ahead as he pushed for the prisoner to pick up the pace. "Your stuff has already been placed in your cell Derekson."

"Just a warning," the one in front spoke up. "Even if you were in the UNSC at one point, don't expect special treatment."

"Yeah, I would love to get some alone time with you actually should you ever step out of line," said the one in the back. "You probably don't remember William, but you sent my father-in-law into battle and to his death even though he was due to be pulled out from service over there. And you, you fucker reaped the reward for the deaths of the many."

The front guard gave a slight look of pity to his co-worker. "But its finally about time you are put where you belong. A lot of people here would love to get their fair share of alone time with you."

"It's a disgrace that the court didn't assign you the death sentence to begin with," said the guard in the back as he became more and more emotional by the passing second. The three arrived to his cell, where he was quickly pushed inside. With his handcuffs now removed, William walked around whilst relieving his wrists of the tension they were under. One of the guards rested the handcuffs against their belt as the other kept a keen eye out. "Start liking this Derekson, this will be your new home now for the rest of your life."

* * *

William rested his palm against the cold concrete wall as he slowly brushed the various cracks along. _For a prison they love to shove all those they deem too dangerous, they certainly have let this place go into disrepair. Yet the walls from the outside seemed fine, only care about what's on the outside, eh?_ He pondered as he walked towards the two beds, one on top of the other. _That's cute, at least I will have company sooner or later_. He reached for the box resting on the bottom bunk and swung the lid open. His ears perked at the sudden rise in noises outside. The prisoners grew restless and their mouths ran wild. One stood toe to toe with a guard. "So, you think you are a big man behind that armour huh? Take that off and let's see how much of bitch your really are."

"Back down prisoner S-405B!" the guard pushed back as the prisoner only then got even closer in response. William gazed at the brutality to follow as a hard swing made contact with the prisoner's jaw. The baton to commit the act rested by the guard's side as he kicked the prisoner over onto his back. "Not such a tough guy now are you? Know your place, all of you should know your place in here!"

"Such a brutish response," William pondered as he sat down onto his bed. "I'm sure it extends to the other guards here as well."

He held out a book and a folder from his set of belongings and held them close. With a gentle slide, he stored the container underneath the bed bunk and rested on the bed. He gently opened the hardcover of the book to read the various scribbles inside from his time in the UNSC. _I still find it hard to believe how an incompetent group of simulation troopers, those from Blood Gulch no less could have toppled my rise to the top. I was going places, I had the ambition and drive to achieve greater things_. He looked towards the cell bars and sneered. _But now I'm trapped like a caged bird, no longer free to fly to greater heights_.

The repugnant smell of the toilet did little to make his rest bearable. _The previous inmate didn't take care of it, did he now?_ William held up the folder to his side and noticed some papers from his court case that stuck out from the edges like a distasteful memory. As his eyes scanned every letter of every word on these scornful pages, he gripped the edges of the paper hard till it became slightly crumpled. His lips tugged up and his eyes gleaned with a new found determination as he continued to read the papers. _I maybe locked in here, but not in spirit. That's right an individual with both patience and resources is capable of achieving great things. I will still be able to move forward. I will go higher and I will rebuild, get back the things I lost. No idiots will stand in my way again_.

* * *

**A/N: With that, the whole of the original cast has been re-introduced and their current state of being has been put out here. Also, surprise with the UNSC Commander!**

**Bonus points for anyone that can remember him. In the way of a small hint, don't try to remember by name as that was never mentioned before.**

**I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Any constructive feedback is appreciated!**

**Catch you in the next chapter!**

**~ Monty**


	6. Chapter 5: The Struggle is Real

**Chapter 5: The Struggle is Real**

Sparkles glistened off the ocean waves in the horizon. Simmons leaned over the deck as he rested his whole weight against the railing. He took in a deep breath of the afternoon breeze, and his lungs inflated with new life. His eyes were half closed, with his mouth curved downward into a clear frown. Above him, he heard the echoes of a flying object. _A bird?_ He pondered only to find the bubbly echo to be unrecognizable of any bird type he knew of. From his left, above he saw a small red object in the distance. It approached him closer till it became clear like the golden sky. It was a flying car. _They sure are amazing_. He looked at the propulsion system on the vehicle and lowered his eyes to the few sand particles that flew away with the wind. _It's strange how before I would have gladly jumped at the chance to study every little inch of that thing that I could dig up, but now...even that feels like a dull shade in this grey world_. He felt a sudden bump to the back of his head as he held the spot in confusion. Behind him stood one of his co-workers who gave a disapproving gaze. "It's not your break time Simmons. Quit slacking off."

Simmons turned around rather promptly and followed his co-worker back inside. The employee pointed towards the abandoned tables, where the afternoon crowd had once rested for tea and snacks. "Can you go and clean those tables off? We need to prepare for dinner."

The colder night grew as the golden hour retreated till the next morning. Simmons exited through the front doors of the lodge and walked back towards the employees parking. David sat by one of the parking lots as he stared up at the stars. The ex-freelancer took notice with a respectful nod. Simmons gave a small, yet gentle wave. "How come you are out here?"

"Taking my break," David answered. "Sometimes I just find that getting away from the hectic kitchen, or the usual scenery of the lodge deck helps me refresh my mind."

"I see," Simmons replied as he took the locks off his bike. David watched his friend work diligently to undo the restraints. "How are you holding up?"

"Same old, same old."

David's smile, that once offered a kindness Simmons had perceived a great number of times had disappeared. He heard the engines rev up and squeezed shut his eyes. "Be careful on your way home, Simmons. From what I hear, there has been an increase in accidents lately due to the loosened drinking and driving laws."

Simmons smirked in David's direction, although full well felt his concern. He took out his pill bottle from his jacket and gave the last pill an irritated groan. Consuming his very means to maintaining some level of stability in his life, he gave a nod to his friend and said, "Thanks for the advice, have a good night."

* * *

As the bike echoed loudly into the night, he made a sharp turn out of the parking lot. Quickly, he arrived to the nearby local drug clinic. He parked his bike in one of the many spots designated specifically for veterans. He took off his helmet and hung it in his hand. The cold became noticeable as the metal handle left a lasting cold on his hand for several minutes. The queue inside moved ever so slowly, his turn finally came. Behind a glass sat a nurse, he leaned against the wooden counter top and did his best to beam a smile her way. Although it was clear that she was not buying it, and he too knew that he was not fooling anyone like this. His smile quickly turned into a frown as he pulled out his empty pills bottle. "I need a refill."

"Do you have your Veteran status card on you?"

"Here," he quickly pulled it out from his wallet and slid it in the little opening. The nurse took a quick look and nodded with a smile. "We will get you a refill right away. This medicine will come free of charge."

Simmons watched the pharmacists in the back, behind her carry his bottle and begin to refill it with one pill at a time. "Is it that popular, that the government gives it out for free?"

"Sadly yes," the nurse replied. Her smile somewhat faded as she lowered her gaze to the counter. "There have been more cases of PTSD and depression than there were ever before. It really is a sad state of affairs. But we do our best to try and get the veterans back into society as functioning individuals."

_Functioning individuals_, he pondered as his eyes shifted to his right, at the line-up for the other counters. _What are we, some fucking product to put out into society? Is that it, no longer considered to even be people, normal humans? Fucking horseshit_.

"Dick Simmons," the pharmacist held up his bottle as Simmons verified. The pharmacist gave a respectful nod with a courteous smile, "Have a good day."

_I don't need you showing me that fake smile_, thought the ex-red soldier. He nodded back to the nurse as she bid him farewell till his next visit. He exited the building quickly and drove back home. Back in his closed world, he threw the keys onto the kitchen counter as he dragged his heavy feet towards the living area. Simmons scratched his beard as he let himself go, the weight pulled him downward to the soft embrace of his black leather couch. His eyes closed much to the relief of the darkness that awaited behind his eyelids. A heavy sigh escaped him as he slowly re-opened his eyes only to notice a red mist, something amiss beside him. To his right was a red figure within the mist, sitting by the couch. _Why do you always just stare at me as if you are judging?_ He pondered with the slow turn of his head towards Sarge. A silence followed their long gaze. He pushed himself up with a loud groan, ever so slowly. "My body is starting to give out now, isn't it? Probably from all the physically labour intensive tasks. I should have kept in shape."

After yet another brief period of silence, his once mentor spoke up. "How is the civilian life treating you, Simmons?"

Simmons stared at Sarge as he begun to drag himself out of the living area. "It's a bit shit seeing as how I see you and everyone else at the most inopportune of times."

* * *

A few moments later, he stood before a dedicated room for work. He flicked on the light switch to his home office, where he kept one simple desk with his computer setup of which he was extremely proud of. As he opted to work tirelessly on the tasks he knew awaited him, he noticed Sarge's reflection on the monitors. _Followed me here_, like always, Simmons thought with a near broken smirk, and his eyes that signalled the signs of defeat. Simmons instantly turned around only to find his past mentor standing mere centimetres away from his face. Simmons reached out with strong force to push Sarge further back, only to phase right through the fog. He could never hurt them, not matter how much he tried. He could never physically leave them behind. He quietly took a few deep breaths to calm himself and returned to his work.

"Tell me Simmons," Sarge raised his voice to get the attention of his conversationalist. "When you continue living like this, what meaning is there to your existence, how could you ever hope to make amends to all the men for your wrongdoings?"

As the noises dulled in the background for him, he opted to focus harder and harder on his work. Soon however, as the older man's voice began to prevail, so did the harder typing of his keyboard. Eventually though, he could no longer take the voice, he could no longer bear the constant questions hovering over his head. He slammed his fists hard against the table, so much so that he saw his monitors shake in their very stands from the impact. The ex-Red leader was quiet. Simmons turned around with a violent wave of his fist into the air. His eyes peered wide open at Sarge. "Just leave me alone!"

To his surprise, Sarge's figure began to fade as he complied. Simmons sat back down in his chair with a deep breath leaving his very body. He turned back to the bright glow of the monitor, and slumped back into his chair, deeper into his ever growing pool of self-disappointment. He studied the various lines of code and bit his lower lip with frustration just itching to leave his body. _So many mistakes, some that are beginner level_. He closed shut his eyes and wondered aloud, "Just what am I doing with this life of mine, why am I such a failure?"

* * *

The frantic noise of the keyboard died down. He looked around at the emptiness of the room. _Hollow, just like this life_. He slowly stood up after shutting down the computer and walked back into the kitchen. His chicken that he had put in earlier into the oven was more than ready. He quickly retrieved it as a sharp, unpleasant, charred smell invaded his nostrils. The top was beautifully cooked, golden brown with delectable juices oozing off the top. However the underneath was a different story. Every inch was covered in a black hard layer. As he took a knife to clean the burned layer off. He placed the chicken down onto his cutting board with much vigour. _Why, why is it me?_ He pondered as he stood the chicken upright. With the knife, he stuck it fast into the meat. _Why is it me that fell into this deep fucking crevice of a depression, why do these chains insist on holding on to me?!_

Halfway through, he felt every tendon split at the razor sharpness of his blade. He looked at the crispy whiteness of the meat underneath and recalled his best friend's eating preference. _He always was a chicken guy over the veggies_. Simmons discarded the black layer into the bin nearby. _I wonder how Grif is doing, if he is holding up fine or not. I wonder if he has improved any since becoming the leader of Red team_. He held the chicken close and almost pulled back as the smell still persisted. He took a gentle bite and oddly enough found nothing to hold him back. Unlike his nose, his mouth felt numbed to all sensation. _I really shouldn't be eating burned meat_. He continued to take another bite. _But what does it matter when I can't even feel the pleasure of taste right now?_

A loud beep echoed through his kitchen. The microwave called for its owner for it was finished with its job. Simmons trudged over and took out a bowl of hot rice. He cut the chicken into tiny pieces and laid it out on top. With one bottle of whisky in his hand, he was set for dinner. By the window rested an old wooden chair which he used occasionally to try and keep up with the happenings of his neighbourhood. But, only a few bites in and he felt as if he was slapped by the past one more. Back to the past, the days where things were simpler in Blood Gulch. _The days where we weren't wrapped up in some crazy, way over our heads situation. It feels like those were the times where I was at most peace with myself, and living to the fullest. But now, now the events that I have experienced have changed me forever, changed all of us_. He dropped his fork to the side of the plate and hunched over the table. He gently slide the plate away and looked at the reflection of a barely recognizable figure, a blob in the glass. _A soulless doll_.

His appetite was no more, he took the plate and dumped its contents into the kitchen's bin. With the bottle of whisky in one hand, he swung it up to his mouth and chugged one-fourth down in an instant. In the living room, he sat on the couch with his back slumped into the cloud of cushion. He held the bottle up to his mouth and slowly began to drain it clean. A few hours passed, and he sat with a hazy head, completely still like an ice statue. He looked at the blurry bottle which had only a few drops left. He held his head in his free hand as he finished with the bottle and groaned in discomfort. Slowly, he lied down on his side onto the couch as he let out yet another groan, this time slightly more aggressive. In the distance, his ears could hear the sound of young feet prancing about on the wooden floor. He shifted himself to face the hallway from which he could indeed see the young boy. He laughed with a careless joy as he ran towards Simmons. Annoyed with his noise, Simmons felt his eyes close in irritation. "Shut up!"

But as if to mock the man, he heard the laughter only get louder. The prancing stopped, and the laughter was now only inches away from him. Simmons opened his eyes to find the boy standing still. _You are here again_, thought Simmons as he picked himself up in his drunken state. _What is this painful feeling, why do I feel this right now?_ He looked at Edwards' eyes, he could only think to lower his head in shame. The boy bent down to look at him once more in the eyes. "You can't run from reality."

Simmons again closed shut his eyes as he held his head in his hands. His teeth clenched against one another as he slowly dug himself into his own knees. "I can still try."

"But is that what you really want?"

Simmons opened his eyes at the sudden question. He looked into Edwards' big curious irises. Simmons reached down for the bottle lying on its side on the carpeting in the living room. He took the glass bottle with a quick swing to his mouth and felt the last few drops of relief enter his body. _Are my own demons causing me to see your ghost manifest right now?_ He slowly let his legs fall towards the ground, stood up with frustration. Yet with as much force he stood up, he found himself quickly subdued by the sharp edge of the table in front of his sofa. "Fuck!"

He was flat on the ground as he held his knee. Every nerve in his body shook from the unwelcomed stimulation. "God fucking dammit!"

Edwards looked down at him with sadness gleam from his eyes. "Do you remember when we were tech buddies, it was the best time I ever had. It would have been nice if we could have kept going like that."

Suddenly Simmons found his slurs held back as the memory pinged in the back of his head. He looked away towards the couch and bit his lower lip as he saw him and Edwards stand there in the junkyard pile, surrounded by excitement all around for there were many parts for the taking. Edwards climbed up the various mountains and with his keen eye for technology, he picked out the best pieces. Simmons licked his lower lip, bleeding slightly. He faced the boy again and agreed with a gentle nod. "Reality is a cruel mistress, that's why I choose to pay her no heed."

Edward turned around, but faced Simmons one last time. "Reality is the one thing no one can run from forever."

* * *

As he walked away, Simmons' vision darkened for the booze finally hit him hard. His body felt heavy as did his head, he had no desire what so ever to move, to do anything and so he slowly drifted off. The next morning, he found his slumber disturbed by a most undesired noise. Outside his window, the world was active and vibrant, bustling with life. He heard his phone ring loudly in his ears and retrieved it from the table. _That's the last time I get drunk and sleep on the floor_, he thought to himself knowing full well that, that was one promise he could not keep to himself. With an annoyed groan, he held his head tightly in his hand. _My head feels like its splitting apart_. The pressure seemed the strongest at the top of his head, as if a volcano was going to blow any moment from the surface. Through a side glance, he took note of the empty whisky bottle. _What number of bottle was that again this month?_

Simmons looked down to the calling number and nearly stood up with speed. It was as if a sharp pain spread throughout his body. The surprise itself was enough to knock some sense back into his heavy mind. He answered the call with a rather weak voice. "Hello?"

"Simmons, are you alright?", asked Carolina. Simmons held his head once more with a small groan. _Ugh, fuck this hangover, seriously_. He walked over to the kitchen where he could fetch himself some liquid relief from the tap. He looked at the phone as she patiently waited for his answer and said, "Oh yes, just great."

The sarcasm was not one to be missed by her. She however quickly brushed past his wisecrack. "If you are in a condition to be joking like that, then you are in a condition to come to work. You are late."

_No way_, thought Simmons. _Me, late? As if_, he turned to face the time on the oven and nearly felt his grip loosen on the phone. "Oh shit..."

He was well over two hours late. "Oh god, I'm so, so sorry Carolina. I'm on my way!"

"Good," Carolina retorted. "We need to have a long chat for when you get here."

_Long chat?_ He stared at the phone, now disconnected. _That doesn't sound like the most appealing proposition_. He quickly put on the cleanest set of clothing and rushed out the door. _What could she possibly want to say to me? I hope its not anything really bad_. He grabbed the motorcycle keys and rushed out the door. _No, I can't let these nightmarish thoughts get a hold of me_. He slowly backed out of the driveway and rode off towards the beach lodge.

* * *

**A/N: Wow, that took a long time to release. Sorry for the little break in release of the chapters, but I think that will continue (unless you are reading this when the story has been completed, in which case this note is useless). Although I hope it was a short enjoyable chapter!**

**Feedback is appreciated!**

**Thank you for your continued support everyone!**

**~ Monty Mason**


	7. Chapter 6: Papa's Blessings

**Chapter 6: Papa's Blessings**

Tucker stared up at the cement ceiling, that reflected the morning light from it's glossy surface. He rested a hand atop his forehead as a warm, exasperated breath left him. He felt the layer of sweat soak into his hand. The morning breeze blew gently into the room, and much to his relief it cooled him down. Nature knew he needed it amidst yet another worrisome awakening. Church and Sigma formed beside his bed from the ones and zeroes. He looked to his side and let a sigh escape as he lost momentary control.

"Was it the nightmare again?", asked Church. Tucker smirked underneath the hand that covered his face and quickly followed up with a chuckle. "I really hoped that you two would get the message from our previous conversations and begin to maintain some boundaries."

"We are only worried about you," said Sigma. Tucker slowly sat up and reached for the towel near the bed. "Sure, but while we share the same head space and the armour, I would still like to have my own space too you know."

"What you say is reasonable," Church replied, however he quickly folded his arms in front of him and tilted his head to one side. "But at this point, where the three of us have been through a lot together, and how much time we have all spent together, what you say doesn't make much sense anymore...considering the current situation and all."

"Why doesn't me wanting some space to myself make sense?"

"Because, Sigs here has been in your head longer, and knows your thoughts very well. I have...or at least other versions of me have known you for a very, very long time and I would even bet I'm a pretty good guesser with what you are thinking."

"Ten bucks says you are wrong," Tucker joked as Church pointed out, "Dude, I'm a fucking badass AI, how do you expect me to have money?"

"If you are so badass, just get it out of someone's bank account. No one will notices ten dollars missing."

"Yeah, sure, I will get right on that, any other bright ideas?"

Tucker looked at Church with a most skeptical and bored look. "I can see that at least one of us is in high spirits today."

"Always," Church answered whilst backing up to where Sigma was. Sigma on the other hand felt his flames get stronger and brighter. Tucker quickly switched his attention over for he knew that Sigma had something to say. "We are only trying to help."

"I have it under control you guys."

"Really?", questioned Sigma as he studied the sweat on the sheets, Tucker's face and the towel that was now completely wet. "The evidence would beg to differ."

"It's all the heat in this room," Tucker quickly looked away as he continuously gazed at a picture of him and Junior hanging by the bedside wall. Sigma quickly countered the argument with a simple point to his left. "The room's window is open with a breeze blowing in."

"How can you guys even tell? You don't have a physical form."

"The armour's sensors readings let us in on the hint," Church mused as Tucker shook his head with a raised eyebrow. "Of course, how convenient."

The soldier quickly picked himself off the bed with one last wipe of the towel. He took in a deep breath as he trudged towards the washroom. His two companions followed closely, much to his irritation. He turned on the cold water flow and drowned his face into the clear, liquid relief. He quickly followed with brushing his teeth. However, as he carried on about his morning routine, he knew both Church and Sigma stared intensely at him. His irritation only grew. "If you guys have something to say, then just say it."

"Nope, nothing in particular to say here," Church backed off with his hands up. Sigma followed suit. "I agree, I too have nothing to say in particular. Its just that we are observing you for any abnormal behaviour."

"That really makes me feel much safer you know, being constantly watched 24/7. Even when I'm about to take a dump," Tucker pointed to the toilet, and his two fragment companions made the wise decision to retreat back into the armour rather fast. Tucker chuckled to himself as he pulled his boxers down. An hour later, the three came out of the house to meet the sunny gaze of yet another beautiful day on this colony. Tucker held up a finger and felt the feedback from the suit's material as the wind hit it. He looked to his right and rested his hands against his waist with a determined nod. "That's the way we will head I guess."

* * *

"Why that way?", asked Church. Tucker gave a simple smirk to his friend with the shake of his shoulders. "I guess I want to see what I come across after seeing how far I can go against the breeze. To see if going against the flow will lead me to something special."

"And what is this something special that might be?", Sigma inquired rather innocently, yet with intent. Tucker held his hands behind his head, left the front lawn with his chest puffed out proudly and took a right on the main street. "I don't know. To be completely honest dude, the only reason I said that was because it sounded cool in my head."

"Fail," Church declared. "Hard fail!"

Tucker flicked him off as the three continued on for a while. "Fuck you dude, you are just jealous of my badass space warrior mojo."

"Keep on dreaming," Church followed closely on Tucker's shoulders as they changed streets. "Synthetic bodies for life."

"But you can't get no chicks with that," Tucker countered as he stopped in front of a very familiar store. Church looked from the very delicately, and meticulously setup store front to his host. "And what am I, an AI fragment, going to do with chicks?"

"Oh right," Tucker chuckled as he began to walk in. "You can't get it up."

"Okay, now that was a serious asshole comment," Church pointed out. Sigma quickly chimed in while looking at their surrounding snacks. "I would say that Tucker just burned you Epsilon."

"Yeah, okay, you don't need to take his side Sigs," Church retaliated as he leaned in close to the fiery fragment. "Also, totally an out of character moment for you. I'm proud of you."

Tucker saw the store owner come out from the back office. He happily held up a hand in greeting and the store owner mirrored. The owner quickly stepped out from behind the counter and held up Tucker's favourite snack. "I have been saving these for you."

"You are the best bro," Tucker held up the package and noticed that it was an even bigger size than the last one. "Business is doing well like usual I presume?"

"Oh, yes, very well!" the owner quipped. "In fact we did so well in the last week that I can close up early today."

"Special occasion?"

"Yes," he replied with a giddy smile. "It's my daughter's birthday."

"Oh-ho," Tucker leaned in closer and wrapped an arm around the owner's long neck. "Wish her a happy birthday from your favourite customer then."

"Who said anything about you being my favourite?"

"Your words hurt me man," Tucker held up his hands, tightly gripped together against his chest. "Especially after I bought all those goodies from you. I will miss this place once I'm gone though."

"When do you leave?"

"In two days," Tucker looked around once more and smiled at how nothing had changed since he first came here. The displays had remained the same, and the sweet aromatic scents of this shop always left a strong, yet soothing impression on his mind. "I will miss this store in particular."

"Why not just stay here then?", asked the store owner as he motioned out to the vibrant populace. "The community welcomes all types of individuals openly, even the visitors who come for the vacation and stay for the good life. Plus, staying would generate more business in the whole colony."

Tucker motioned the bag of chips around with a grin. "You mean, more business for you which might be good."

"Guilty as charged," the store owner mused as he rubbed the back of his head. A wide smile grew and plastered itself onto him rather strongly. Tucker rested a few more treats onto the payment counter and looked out longingly at the inhabitants of the colony. "While I do feel welcomed here, it just doesn't feel like home the way it does for me back where I come from. Plus, I have family waiting for my return as well."

"Well, in that case," the store owner began to ring the items through, one beep at a time. "Thank you for all the business on this trip. When you depart for home, make one last pit stop here?"

"I plan to," Tucker took out his credit chip and held it above the receiver. "I will visit every time I come here to the colony. You are the only one that sells this snack around here."

"Hah, hah, well those chips are going out of style and few customers buy it now," the owner handed Tucker the receipt along with the plastic bag. "I can't guarantee if I will be keeping them still the next time you visit to our humble colony."

Tucker crossed his arms with a long hum and puffed his cheeks. "Dang, then the reason for my visit here would be non-existential, just kidding. Seeing you is reason enough. Again, wish your daughter a happy birthday from me."

"Will do," the owner replied with a wave. "Till next time Tucker!"

* * *

Outside, he hurriedly took out the bag of chips like an addict who could not wait to get his fix. He teared the top and held one chip out. The texture was rough, yet the spices smelled delectable. These chips were thicker than Earth chips as they held a secret explosion of sweetness inside. As he bit down, he felt his mouth be watered in the sweet jelly, finally free from the crusty outer shell. Church looked back towards the shop and chuckled. "So, you picked this direction at _random_, eh?"

"Some bias may have gone into this choice," Tucker took another one into his mouth and felt his whole body shiver with excitement. Church looked inside the bag, and to his surprise they were all still not gone. "You know, I'm surprised that in all your time here, you never got sick of eating these so often. Why is that?"

"Some things are just harder to get sick of than others."

"Like your losing streak with women," injected Sigma as both his companions looked at him wide eyed. Church burst out into a laughter and he held his stomach tightly. "Oh man, you got seriously burned."

"What is it with you today Sigs?", asked Tucker as he took another bite. "You are throwing out burns left and right today, no one is safe with you around."

"I thought it would be a good change of pace from my usual behaviour," Sigma admitted as he held his hands behind his back. "I can revert back if you would like."

"Nah, I vote to keep this new Sigma," Church raised a hand. "I like the new you buddy. Keep it up, remember to target it towards him."

Sigma peered around at the route they now walked and studied the colony map. "Hmm, it appears that we are in yet another unrecognized part of the town."

"Yup," Tucker smirked back whilst taking another jelly explosion into his mouth. Sigma held up his hand against his chin in curiosity. "Do you know where this path could possibly lead us to?"

"No clue, but we will figure it out eventually when we get there."

"Again, what is this _there_ you speak of?"

"Some place rewarding," Tucker looked into the bag to find his supply halfway depleted. With his smile turned upside down, he simply shrugged his shoulders and moved on about. Church looked at his friend with a most curious stare, one which was not unnoticed by the other two. Tucker looked to his right from the side of his eyes and could only sheepishly ask, "W- What is it?"

"I'm just wondering how you can be so carefree right now, especially for someone that woke up in a cold sweat this morning."

"Sometimes being carefree is just what a person needs when they feel themselves bogged down the most," Tucker admitted to the surprise of his two companions. Church held his hands to his waist and leaned forward to further study his host. "Wow, you actually said something mature. Are you really Lavernius Tucker?"

"Well, I can say mature things too. Makes me sound cool, right?", he boasted as he then pointed to his left, where a flower bush resides. "This route is quite scenic, so it's not so bad even if we are in some place we have never been to before."

"Is that the only scenery you refer to, or perhaps the one of the opposite gender as well?", mused Sigma. Tucker looked to the orange flaming fragment with a wide grin and spoke, "You have learned well under my wing young one, your training is nearly complete."

"You have been clearly talking to him way too much Sigma," Church exasperated as he slapped his own head at the thought of having another Tucker to deal with. _That is a terrifying thought indeed_. Sigma cracked a small smile, full of passion and shining with joy. Tucker followed suite as he felt his lips tug up. He looked down into his bag of chips and found his supply to be nearly depleted. "I wonder if Mike would still be here if I had reacted fast enough to warn him of the danger."

Church knew of the nightmares that haunted Tucker, day in and day out. He understood of the reason behind Tucker's cold sweat. He felt something anew from Tucker, a sense of sharing for which he felt very grateful. "None of that is on you. Mike failed to react himself and that cost him his life."

"But he was a part of our team, a friend."

"Tucker," Church appeared in front of him to stop him in his tracks. "We were all in hell. You should know more than me already, that is what real war is like."

"But I could have still done more," Tucker walked around Church as he gripped his chips bag tightly. "We all could have tried doing more for everyone we lost."

"Hmm, just get a move on," Church grumbled as he crossed his arms with one singular thought at the forefront of his mind. _How many times is it that we have had this conversation now?_ He looked at Tucker, trekking uphill and sighed in silence. _Me losing my cool there like that was not cool_. A few minutes passed, Tucker continued with one foot in front of the other, up the hill. Church looked in the direction ahead of Tucker and felt himself groan in annoyance. "Where are we even headed?"

Tucker looked back at his impatient friend with a smile tugging at his lips just as they finally saw the top. "We will know once we get to the top. And then, we will head back down again, nothing special."

* * *

A few more minutes passed, and they finally reached the top. Tucker looked at the bag of chips and saw only the crumbs. He crumpled up the bag and threw it to the bin to his right. Gently he rested his strong back against the concrete wall and felt his breath leave him, desperately gasping. "Oh man, I'm getting out of shape here."

"Well, ever since we all left those battles and wars behind, you have become a potato, like Grif," Church mentioned as he turned to left. He nearly felt his balance waiver on the thin air he floated on. "This is..."

No more words could be compiled, even one of the most advanced artificial minds seized at the lay of the land that was before him. Tucker looked to his right as did Sigma. All three stood still at the downhill view of the colony. The sun shone brightly and painted a strong contrast of light and dark. The strong toned shadows that coated the bricked pathway, and the streaks of golden brown on the trees as the light would paint across their trunk. Sigma stepped forward ahead of the two, almost as if trying to reach out and grab a hold of this scenery in his hands. "Is this perhaps what humans refer to as bewilderment at the external beauty around us?"

"Yeah," Tucker said in a whisper as the breeze blew from his back, almost as if lifting him up and off his feet like a weightless leaf in the wind. Sigma held his chin in his hand thoughtfully and he gave a small nod. "Even though it is my first time experiencing it as such, I quite...like it."

Tucker noticed the metallic areas shine like a diamond jewel. Tucker's smile only grew wider. "Yeah, there still are many beautiful things in this world that I have not seen yet."

Church noticed a sudden spike in Tucker's mood reading. _Judging by the look on Sigs face, I would say he has too_, thought Church as the two fragments nodded to one another. "It's not just the environment, but people can be beautiful too."

Tucker suddenly turned to face Church, his mouth dropped wide open as he shakily lifted a finger towards Church. "Um, where did you get that great wisdom from?"

"Heh, it's just one of the many things I learned in all the time I spent with sis."

"Sounds like you learned the right things," Tucker mused as he held his hands by his waist and took in a deep breath. "This was worth it in the end."

"I would agree," chimed in Sigma as did Church. Tucker looked back from the path they used. "Shall we head back, or do you guys want to see the view from up here a bit more?"

Both the fragments nodded in agreement and led the way down the hill. Tucker followed promptly. He quickly took his place in between the two of them. "Church, I know what you were trying to do with that comment back there. It's not wrong. I know I have been a dick, being all closed off about my problems to others and what-not. But I know best that no matter what, the only way to overcome all that we have been through is by working together. This is no different, by shunning others out, I shun out my own family."

"Then why do you still do it?", asked Sigma. Tucker looked to his fiery fragment with a thoughtful glance and said, "There is both beauty and ugliness in people. I know that because of the fond memories that have been passed on to me, there are so many beautiful things in people. The new recruits as well, they are some great people. But sometimes, the ugliness spills out so much that the beauty gets drowned out."

"And?", asked Church having failed to see the aqua one's point. Tucker slowly climbed down a few steep steps as he leaned against a wall for support. "What I'm trying to say is that even amidst all the ugliness, beauty will still find a way to the surface under the right circumstances. Maybe I was just being ugly."

Tucker could finally see the bottom of the hill. Sigma motioned confidently towards Tucker and said, "Perhaps the first step is to apologize to everyone you have ever shut down, even though their intent was to only help you."

"Looks like me being a dick has finally come back to bite me as well," Tucker laughed as he stared up at the skies. "Karma can be a bitch."

* * *

The sky shifted colours upon the passing of time. It was soon afternoon and Tucker's long day had come to an end. _Yet another day gone_, he thought. Church agreed. "One day closer to going back home."

"Dude," Tucker stood a little unimpressed. "You have got to stop invading my thoughts like that. We have a bro code in which we give each other personal space for a reason."

"Yeah, yeah," Church waved towards Junior's house. "Just get a move on. I will keep it in mind for the future...hopefully."

"That sounds convincing," mused Tucker as they entered the front entrance. A pair of shoes rested by the guest area of the entrance. Tucker looked inside and listened very carefully. He could hear the snickers of two other individuals. _One of them definitely is Junior_, he thought while walking in to the living room. There, in the open he saw the his son and a woman, sitting hand-in-hand as the two touched their heads together. _Looks like I walked in on two love birds here_, he thought while removing his helmet. A rather perverse smile tugged at his lips from one cheek. He raised an eyebrow in a repeated motion. All of which only quickly annoyed Junior to the amusement of both Tucker and his girlfriend. Junior departed from his embrace and stood up to make room for his father on the couch. Tucker beamed a soft smile with a wave towards Junior's girlfriend. "You must be Rheai."

"Yes, I am," she answered perkily, and took his hand in hers. The three quickly settled into the couch as Junior gently rubbed Rheai's shoulder. _Yeah, he is totally in love_, thought Tucker. Junior motioned from Rheai to Tucker and said, "Once again, her name is Rheai. She works for the government office just like me. She works in the data management section of the embassy."

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you," Rheai stated with a crystal clear clarity in her voice. "Junior spoke of you highly at all times."

Tucker sat a little taken back as he looked to Junior for confirmation. His son's quick glance was an enough of a sign. He couldn't help but smile rather proudly at the kindness his son saw him with. "I hope Junior hasn't been too much of a handful."

"Oh no!", she quickly rested a hand on Junior's thigh and gave a small pondering gaze towards him. Her smile only grew wider the longer she maintained contact with him. "It is quite the opposite actually. He has been the best partner I could ask for. He is here to listen to me, and support me."

"She does the same for me father," Junior added as Tucker quietly nodded on the side lines. _Feels like I'm intruding at this point. _Tucker relaxed his crossed arms and said, "A match made in heaven is definitely something I can see in between you two."

Both Rheai and Junior looked at him quietly, frozen from the implications behind the phrase. Junior tilted his head in the confusion that quickly followed. "Father?"

"It means that I'm giving you guys my blessings."

The two nearly jumped out of the couch with joy, however they felt it be quickly tempered by the words that followed from Tucker. "Staying together will be a long and an arduous path. I can say that from experience as I have yet to find a long-term partner myself, if I will ever find one that is."

"You will father!", Junior nodded his head with confidence. "You just have to keep an open mind to meeting new people!"

"Yeah, you are right," Tucker extended a hand towards Rheai once more. "It was great meeting you. I should go prepare dinner since I promised Junior I would. If you would like, join us?"

"Oh yes," Junior's eyes instantly lit up like a bulb full of energy. His voice was filled with a particular type of excitement Tucker rarely heard in his son's voice. It was one filled with expectation and hope. "I have been looking forward to having both you and father over for dinner together."

Rheai in turn calmly smiled, and her one hand reached for his as she leaned in close. _It can be lonely to eat alone in a big house like this_, she thought and nodded to her boyfriend. "I would be happy to."

"Cool," Tucker rubbed his hands together, as if to prepare his audience for something grand. "Let me go cook up a storm in the kitchen then."

* * *

On to the cutting board, rested several vegetables and slabs of meat. He prepared the vegetables into small cuts, seasoned them with salt and pepper. With the meat, he thoroughly washed it and seasoned it lightly with salt and pepper. The gas on the oven burned brightly and he very generously oiled up two pans to heat. A few minutes passed and the smoke started to rise from below the pans. The ventilation atop the oven began to clear out the smoke from the area and he gently rested the pieces of meat into the one pan, while the vegetables into the other. The mixed smell of the food began to water his mouth. He turned on the ventilation power even higher as greater smoke escaped from the steaks.

Tucker flipped the steaks over to reveal a beautiful, and a juicy brown skin. He heard his stomach growl and quickly slapped it. _No, gotta make sure I resist. Need to save it so I eat it with Rheai and Junior_.

"Speaking of Rheai and Junior," Church suddenly popped up beside Tucker. The aqua soldier looked at his friend with slight distaste. "There you go reading my mind again, how many times have I told you bro?"

"Those two are totally getting it on right now in the other room."

Tucker's mouth remained wide open, and before he could continue any further, he turned back to the pan and continued to stir the vegetables. "Thanks for giving me that picture that I can never forget now."

"Oh come on, I bet you want to take a peek."

"No."

Both Church and Sigma looked at each other rather shocked. Sigma rested his chin in his hand contemplatively and inquired, "Why don't you want to do it Tucker? This is most out of character for you."

"It's because I respect their privacy, and I would never want to do something like that to my own son."

"But that truth is," Church suddenly appeared on the kitchen counter on which he walked upon. "You just don't want to be scarred for life like you are _really_ thinking."

Tucker's silence was answer enough to Sigma. "That maybe a part of it, but I want for Junior to be able to do what he wants now. He is a grown adult."

Church appeared into view to his friend's level and leaned closer. "Okay, what's gotten into you? The Tucker I knew all this time would not be saying this."

"Heh, that's what parenting does to you," Tucker beamed a grin in the direction of his fragments. "But I guess I will return to being my old self when we are back at Blood Gulch."

The steaks continued to sizzle with the aroma to tease his stomach. Some time later, the food was finally ready and he could hardly hold back his unhappy stomach. _Yes, yes, feeding time!_ He threw the kitchen towel to the side and called out to the other two. He quickly ran into the door frame to Junior's room and before he could even knock, his presence was already known. Quickly Rheai parted from Junior under the bed sheets and faced away from the two men as her cheeks flared. Junior faced away as well as his cheeks too lit up. Tucker looked out into the hallway with an amused expression. _Just like little kids. But then again, aren't we all in these situations?_ He mused to himself as he rubbed the back of his head. "Food is ready."

* * *

A few moments later, the three sat awkwardly at the dinner table. Tucker pushed the plate of food towards the two and asked for them to dig in. As they both cleared their throats, unable to maintain eye contact, he took a slice of the steak and gently bit into it. The juices that flowed out from the meet were enough to make them forget everything, to forgive and move on as they both agreed at how delicious the meal tasted. Tucker took a bite and agreed. "Thanks for the compliment. I remember that this was a dish I would make often before I enlisted in the army."

"What else can you make father?"

"Off the top of my head," Tucker looked at his fingers as he counted it out. "To be honest, not much. I need written recipes. But if you have a request, I will be more than happy to try it in my remaining time here."

Time passed and the meals settled well in their stomachs. Tucker rested his pudding bowl by the rest of the plates and looked out the window to the starry night with a most satisfied grin. Rheai looked at her watch briefly and nearly jumped in her seat. "Oh my, I need to get home. We have work tomorrow after all."

"I will walk you home," offered Junior. In response, she shook her head, "I do not want to trouble you, plus, you will get more opportunities to in the future. Spend time with your father."

Tucker shook his head and motioned to his son to leave with her. Junior looked at his father with a most gracious nod and guided themselves out the door. "Thank you Rheai, but you are important to me as well. Let us enjoy these moments that we get to ourselves as well."

"But your father is here for a less time than I am."

"True," Junior lessened the distance between himself and Rheai. "But I know father would not be happy if I let you go by yourself, especially at this time."

"Oh, you think I cannot defend for myself?", she teased holding up her fists. "Who was it again that saved your butt the first time we met when you were about to be mugged in that shady area of the colony?"

"You," he admitted with a blush. Her laughter that followed, echoing endlessly into the night sky caused him to tighten a grip on her hand. "And I am very thankful for that. Because of that, we met."

"Yeah," she rested her head on his shoulder as the two disappeared off into another street. Tucker turned from the room window to the plates that sat still on the table, desperately begging for his attention. One plate at a time, he swirled his hands around in a rhythmic motion to plaster it completely in soap. One plate after the another, he felt a smile grow on his face. _He really has grown up now_, thought Tucker. The front door opened just as Tucker finished rinsing the final plate. Junior quickly enters to help Tucker with the pots and remaining utensils. As the two finished, Tucker wiped his hands clean and motioned outside. Junior grabbed two beers out of the fridge and he followed the aqua soldier to the front porch. With the high pitched ringing of the two bottles clinging together, they cracked open the lids and took a gentle sip of the sweet, mango flavoured beer. Tucker held up a finger to grab his son's attention and said, "You have picked out a really good one."

"Thank you father," Junior took another sip, as if to wipe the blush he wore. "And thank you for making Rheai feel welcomed. Thank you for making it a memorable night for her."

"It was a memorable night for both her and me," Tucker mused as he took a sip out of the bottle. "I'm just happy to see my boy grow up and take the steps to be moving forward in life. I would love to meet her again any time."

"Thank you."

"So," Tucker inquired with a raised expression. "When is the wedding happening?"

"Wed-," Junior quickly stumbled up and rushed for the door. "Not right now! I'm going to get another beer!"

"Heh, that kid," Tucker eyed Junior's half full bottle. "I guess no matter how much he grows, he will still always be that little boy I raised. Some things change, but some other things don't."

* * *

**A/N: That was quite a long chapter, and different in tone from the previous one I hope!**

**I wanted to write a more slice of life oriented chapter, but also focus on the relationship between the characters. I also wanted to show just how much Junior has progressed in his life from the little tyke he was back at Blood Gulch. He certainly has come a long way. **

**Did you enjoy the character moments between Tucker, Church and Sigma as well?**

**I know Sigma was quiet out of character this chapter, but he too should get some progression, being one of the the prominent characters within red vs blue :).**

**What did you think of this chapter overall?**

**Constructive feedback is welcomed!**

**Thank you for your continued readership and see you in the next chapter!**

**~ Monty Mason**


	8. Chapter 7: Coding Interest

**Chapter 7: Coding Interest**

Johnny covered the left side of his visor as he felt the sharp glare of the sun hit him hard as he passed the base's window. _What time is it?_ He pondered whilst letting his eyes adjust. He slowly trudged towards the base's computer room. However, just before he could escape the hallway, he heard a familiar, agitated groan from behind him. _Bonnie_, he thought with frustration. _No, don't let these thoughts get to you bro_. He looked back as she cleared her voice. She stood just a few steps away, her arms crossed in visible annoyance. "So you finally decided to get your ass in gear."

He quickly turned his back towards her and went on his way. From the additional footsteps, he could tell she was following him. "Do you realize what time it is?"

Her question fell on deaf ears. "You need to start helping around the base."

He simply waved her off just as he reached the computer room. "I have work to do."

Quickly he shut the door behind him and was ever so tempted to lock the room, so it was only him and his one relief, his one source of great happiness. Bonnie looked at the plain metallic door in front of her and nearly felt a vein pop out in her forehead. As soon as he heard the footsteps dampen further into the distance, he turned on the computer and began to collect the data for his bi-weekly report to HQ using his self-coded scripts. _This machine has tons of old files that were never cleaned out_, he pondered staring at the various directories the script went through. Johnny opened a terminal and began to browse the directories of the different types of files. Unsurprisingly, he noticed some several images of women eating fancy assortments of food in bunny outfits. _No doubt they are Grif's. Weird fetish though_, he thought as he switched out to another directory. _Hello_, something instantly caught his eyes. It was a folder named 'Basebook v2.0'. _The development environment is still on this machine_. He opened up the various files and studied the code of the main block. "Interesting, how is it that I never noticed this before?"

* * *

The red team leader woke up to the calling of his stomach. His crusty eyelids struggled to part and with a groan he finally opted to apply more pressure. Like a flabby jelly, he felt himself weigh, and morph down with gravity. As a groan escaped him, he finally found himself sitting up. Grif took one look around the room and sighed at the littered snack bags all around. One could hardly see the floor at this point. He kicked a few to the side and peered at the new ones that popped up from underneath. Reaching down, he picked a few up and roughly shook them. _Empty, fuck..._, he looked at the door to the room as his stomach quickly quietened at the prospect. His mouth turned into an even bigger frown, overflowing with disappointment. _I will have to step out to restock_, he slowly walked towards the door. But with every step he became slower. _I mean, it had to happen at some point_. He reached for the door handle, but found himself frozen like a firm, rock statue. _Out there, its a different world. If I go out there, I would be leaving the safety of this room. Can I really do that?_

His hand quickly released the handle, and his feet stumbled back on auto-pilot, guiding him back to the bed. _No, I can't!_ He bumped his head against the wall in a quiet, yet frustrated expression. _I can't fucking do it!_

A yellow mist appeared to Grif's right. He turned to face the fog, out from which he could see his sister emerge. She sat beside him with her fingers entangled into one another. Her head lowered and her legs crossed with one foot consistently shaking. "When did you turn into such a coward and an overthinking guy?"

Grif shook his head as he looked away. "I-...Things change."

"Just like you did with my death?", she asked. He suddenly looked at her with widened eyes and held one palm up to his visor as a headache came about. Sister took his silence as an answer and asked, "But I wonder sometimes, am I really dead or not?"

"Yes you are!", Grif exclaimed as he held his head now completely dug into his arms. "I know what's real!"

"Do you really, or are you just pretending so you can comfort yourself here alone in this room?"

Grif raised his head suddenly, and just as quickly head raised it, it lowered at how heavy her words felt now. His mouth slowly closed and tugged up into a smirk from one side. _I wonder if that really is the case, or if these delusions have muddled my sense of reality so much that I only pretend now as to what is real_.

Grif promptly slapped the sides of his helmet and through the pressure his brain became alert. He rushed towards the door and opened it wide. His nose lit up as his eyes opened wide from the difference in smells. His room carried the smell of several old plastic bags, and stale chips, while the rest of the base had a pleasant citrus scent. Sister from behind him spoke up once more, "If you go out there, you will be in a land of pain. Instead, you should just stay in this room with me, I can provide you safety from all that is bad."

Grif quickly left the room and Sister found her form fading away into the yellow fog that once created her. Amidst the ambient silence of the hallway, Grif heard the noises of a keyboard grow louder with every step he took forward. In the computer room, he found Johnny, intensely staring at the screen with what Grif could only think to be was computer code. Grif's eyes shifted back and forth between Johnny and the screen. _He really can concentrate well on these sorts of things_, Grif leaned against the door frame just as he thought he saw his red best friend in the chair. _Just like a certain someone_. Grif lowered his head and held both his arms close to his chest. He let out a long held in breath and bit his lower lip. _I wonder how he is doing right now, if he is coping any better with this stuff than I'm. What can I do to make myself stronger?_

* * *

_There is someone staring at me, isn't there?_ Pondered Johnny as his typing became slower and quieter. He slowly turned around, expecting one angry self elected team leader, but to his surprise it wasn't so. _I don't know if this is any better_. He looked at Grif who held his stomach uncomfortably. Johnny scratched the back of his helmet and looked towards the floor. _I knew I shouldn't have opened the door again. Should have just kept it closed, but nope, couldn't even do that now could you Johnny?_

Johnny looked at Grif as he looked at the rookie. The two men continued to stare, and could easily give several wrong impressions to outside third parties. And yet as uncomfortable as Johnny felt at the rare appearance of their true team leader, he also was left in disbelief of whether this Grif was actually real or not. Daisy hopped along happily inside the base and took a right. With one leg in front of the other, she jumped along with the high notes of her merry tune. _I wonder what it is I should do after my hair dye session_, she pondered with a smile slowly growing on her face. A large, dynamite metallic mantis like lady flashed in her mind. _If Sheila had any hair, she would definitely look super cute with short hair_. Her happy demeanour however left her temporarily as a glaze of orange caught her glance. Grif slowly approached her and in a trance of dumbfoundedness, she stared at their team leader. Her mouth hung open with her shoulders and arms hanging to her sides. _Did he really step out of his room after three months?_

As he walked past her, she slowly turned her head to follow his every step. _This should be quite the treat for Bonnie as well_. But just as the surprise train kept on chugging along for her, she saw Bonnie stand behind her. _Uh oh, would have been better if I could have eased her into this_, thought Daisy as Bonnie made way for Grif. Her hands gripped together whilst gently rubbing her fingers. Bonnie watched her CO approach with slow, dragging feet. Her mind felt it self to be in a mess, a loss for words. Yet she knew she had to say something at this point, otherwise she might not get a chance to again. "It's about time you decided to step out of your room and do something."

_Oh dear_, Daisy quickly moved towards her friend, but Bonnie was not deterred. Grif quickly opened the fridge and began to pick the most appealing, unhealthy foods he could find, all filled to the brim with processed sugar. Bonnie approached him and stood behind the fridge door. "Is this all that you came out for, isn't there something more important to be doing at this point in time, Grif?"

The snacks simply continued to pile and not a word was uttered out of his mouth. Bonnie tapped her finger against the fridge door and spoke, "You need to be leading us Grif, you are our leader."

When silence again greeted her like an old familiar friend, she gritted her teeth in irritation. "You are supposed to be our leader, do your job already!"

"Okay," Daisy quickly hopped in between the two and slowly guided Bonnie away. "Shouting at him won't help, you already know that."

"Dammit, I know," Bonnie admitted as she looked away from her friend's intense gaze. Daisy gently shook Bonnie's arm in her hand and inquired, "Then why do you do it repeatedly?"

"I- Because I don't know what else to do with Grif," Bonnie loosened Daisy's grip as she took notice of their CO retreating back to his cocoon no doubt. Daisy patted her best friend on the back and beamed a smile of confidence. "Things will be fine. This just requires time. Give him more time."

"How much more?"

"Look, I can't tell you that to be completely honest with you," she replied. "But if you try to force this, you will make things worse, that much I'm certain of."

Bonnie shook her head and quickly began to follow Grif back to his room. But before she could approach him any closer, he was well behind the safety of his locked door. Johnny looked back at the rather intense Bonnie who slammed the side of her fist against the wall. Before long, she noticed her audience and shot a stern glare in his general direction, to which Johnny quickly understood and turned back to his computer screen. _Yeah, I don't want none of that_, he thought as he continued to type away. Daisy rested a gentle grip on Bonnie's arm and led her away to the kitchen, where she poured them both a cold cup of iced coffee. Daisy gently placed the cup in front of her friend who removed her helmet to brush her short hair in repeated motions.

Daisy removed hers and felt the freedom from the tight, confined space. "If you keep rubbing your hair like that, you will ruin it."

"Ugh," Bonnie quickly redid the style and picked up her cup with a sigh. "I'm sorry for losing my cool like that."

Daisy quietly looked up with a smile as she continued to listen. Bonnie took a small sip and felt her throat cool down from the sweet, yet a sour liquid at the same time. "I'm finding that nowadays my patience is wearing thin, and continues to become thinner."

"Bonnie," began Daisy as she slowly and carefully placed her cup onto the surface of the island by the kitchen sink and fridge. "Why are you so determined to change Grif and Johnny?"

Bonnie turned to suddenly stare at her friend and felt as if a curve ball had been thrown her way. She felt her grip tighten around the cup and sighed with uncertainty as clear as the sky outside. "I'm not too sure, maybe because its a habit of mine."

"Sounds like this habit gets you into more trouble than its worth," Daisy rested a hand atop Bonnie's and leaned close with an understanding smile. "Maybe it's better to put a leash on it for now?"

"No," Bonnie quickly relented as she retrieved her hand. "We need our CO to properly function in order for us all to maintain cohesiveness as a team. We are barely getting by right now as it is."

"And we are getting by thanks to you, so thank you for keeping things together," Daisy raised her cup and washed her throat clean with relief. "But time is the cure here perhaps for Grif and to a certain extent, Johnny."

"Two years is too long," Bonnie countered. Daisy nodded her head, but quickly followed with a counter of her own. "Some wounds are deeper than others. But you should know that best out of the two of us from your experience as a psychologist. Now, if you will excuse me, my daily snack awaits!"

Daisy quickly reached over to the fridge and began to pile out a few ingredients near the kitchen stove. "I will make extra, so be sure to eat it!"

Like being stranded in the open amidst the thunder rain of cold showers, Bonnie's shoulders shuddered at the thought with a most crooked smile. "That sounds lovely..."

* * *

On the opposite end of the canyon, Marcus stood atop Blue base. To his side was a very happy blue soldier, Caboose who continued to hum to himself in a most joyous manner. Freckles blinked his flashlight twice as he opted to speak. "That is very good, Captain Caboose."

_Good is not the word I would use_, thought Marcus who struggled to breath, nearly hyperventilating. He felt the very numbers of his blood pressure rise, _it's okay Marcus, calm down_. He slowly reached into his back pocket and held out his trusty bottle of pills. Took one out and swiftly threw it into his mouth.

"What's that?", asked Caboose as he tilted his head to get a closer read on the bottle. "Ah, are you sick right now, because I don't like getting sick either. Getting sick is very sad because you have to stay in your room the whole time until you get better and it gets super boring."

"It's just something I normally take," explained Marcus whilst retreating the bottle back into his pocket. From the sounds of the pills hitting against the bottle alone he knew that he was almost dry. _Those supplies from HQ better arrive today as they said they are supposed to_. Caboose inched closer and squinted his eyes. To anyone outside however it was simply a plain visor gazing in their direction. Caboose having quickly realized that fact, he crossed his arms and leaned closer. "Staaaarrrreeee..."

_Should I humour him?_ Marcus pondered with a heavy sigh. _Fuck it, just do it_. "What is it Caboose?"

"Um Private Marcus," began Caboose to the surprise of Marcus. _Why the formalities now?_ He pondered as Caboose continued, "How is it that you are able to remain so calm all the time? Chill as ice."

"That takes a lot of work and discipline. Sometimes, more than the normal around _some_ others."

"Oh I get what you mean," said the dark blue one as he wrapped his arms against his chest even tighter with a deep breath. "Some people can just get on your nerves so easily."

"You don't say," Marcus snickered in a slow, and methodical manner. Yet the sarcasm was non-existent to Caboose's ears. _I think I will kill him first when things get tough with the food shortage_, thought Marcus as he found Caboose to be his main source of frustration at the moment. "Caboose, go for a walk."

"Eh, oh boy, I love walks!"

"Great," Marcus turned his attention back out to the canyon skies. Both the men felt a vibration shake the roof they stood upon. From behind the base walked out Sheila who studied the canyon all around, taking every speck of dirt in this canyon into her calculations. "I'm about to make my daily rounds, would you like to join me Caboose?"

"Yay, walking with Sheila!", he happily exclaimed as he flew up into the air with the aid of his jets and onto her back. Marcus eyed the unit gain distance from him one step at a time. He breathed out a sigh of relief, and of freedom. _How is it that Cholo can handle him everyday?_

"Someone called?", as if magically having heard Marcus' thoughts, the Mexican man appeared from the rooftop entrance. Marcus nearly jumped in surprised and pulled back on the rifle trigger. _I should have done it, dammit, I missed my chance_. "Don't sneak up on me like that again Cholo, otherwise you may find yourself ten feet underground the next time this happens. Are we clear?"

"That's oddly specific," Cholo rested his hands inquisitively against his mouth piece with a raised eyebrow. Marcus glared at the man from his side and shuffled back to gaze out at the canyon. "I had nothing to do with it alright, there is nothing to talk about here."

"Hmm," that one suspicious sigh from Cholo was always the indicator to eject for Marcus. Before Cholo could bombard him with questions however, Marcus stepped in front of him, rested a firm grip on Cholo's shoulders and said, "Don't you dare to even fire those questions at me."

"But you don't even know what I was going to ask."

"I can venture to guess, and I don't like those guesses," Marcus turned back to look at Sheila and Caboose, now nearly on the other side of the canyon. _She sure does move fast_. Cholo joined him near the edge of the roof like a pair of perched birds, ever so vigilant in their watch.

"So, how did you know I was thinking about you?"

"I sneezed," admitted Cholo. Marcus nearly felt his gun slip out of his hands. "Y- You can't be serious."

"Of course I'm, man it was a good sneeze. You know, the type of sneeze you get when someone is either talking or thinking about you. And it was also just a lucky guess that you were the one to actually have anything to do with this."

"Why come to me first?"

"You were the closest one," Cholo bumped shoulders with his friend with a perverse smile string from one cheek bone to the next. "By the way, you so naughty for thinking about me."

Marcus acted fast, he pulled out a knife and pointed it towards Cholo's crotch. The Mexican man quickly reacted with his hands to act as guards for his little friend. Marcus then waved the knife around as he inched closer. With every step, Cholo felt his heart beat rise. Marcus finally had him backed against a wall and he just grazed Cholo's helmet with the blade. "Listen Cholo, if you tell anyone about this, there will be no more alone time for you. Clear?"

"I will wipe this from my memory sir!", he shouted with a UNSC salute. Marcus stored the knife to his back with a nod. "Good boy."

The clouds above the canyon parted with a loud thunder roar in the ears of every inhabitant. They looked up to the growls of the sky, as if a monster storm was brewing. Sheila analyzed the noise patterns and used her enhanced zoom features to take note of their guest. "Attention Red and Blue base, the supply drop is here."

* * *

Cholo ran down to the center of the canyon and met Bonnie face to face. The Pelican was finally visible, and they landed gently against the hard, rocky ground. The back door slowly opened, swinging down to the ground, and drones exited with palettes of supplies towed behind them. One of the occupants of the ship walked over to the crates just as a third delivery drone prepped for receiving. He loaded it up to full capacity and sent it on its way. Cholo and Bonnie quickly jumped in to load up the boxes of their respective bases. The pilot exited the cockpit with a pad in hand as he studied the dwindling number of crates. "How are the rookies doing?"

"Oh come on," moaned Bonnie. "We are not rookies anymore, we have been here long enough to be past that now."

"Meh, same old, same old," Cholo motioned for the signing pad. The pilot quickly loaded the proper forms for Blue base and handed it to Cholo. "Not much to do around here except for embarrassing one another in a game of capture the flag."

"Sounds like a dream job," said the pilot's co-worker. "Get paid to do nothing all day long, that's the life."

"It's not nearly as fun as it may sound," Bonnie stated just as she finished her signature. Cholo nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I have to make my own fun around here in fact. Even that gets shut down though."

Bonnie shook her head in disapproval. "It would help if your fun wasn't always ending in some type of perversion."

"But, but that's the main ingredient for my fun! What else am I supposed to do otherwise?", Cholo demanded to know as Bonnie was in the midst of leaving for her base with the supply drones. Cholo quickly followed his own into Blue base. Inside Red base, Daisy approached the crates with her arms moving back and forth, stretching in all directions. "I will help."

"Thanks," said Bonnie as she began to undo the safety harness on the crates. The two women began to unload the crates one by one. All the monotony of the day that once was seemed to leave them behind as their muscles got a good workout in the process. In Blue base, Caboose and Marcus rummaged through the various crates and stored them into the storage area. Marcus eyed some of the boxes already in the storage room and began to open a few. Cholo looked back with a raised concern. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for something."

* * *

Outside by the pelican, the two UNSC soldiers took off their helmet and instantly felt their lungs set ablaze. As quickly as they had taken the helmets off, they were back on. The pilot felt the relief of his air conditioning fan as he sat down against the rear door. "How the hell does anyone survive in this heat out here?"

"Yeah, this heat is a killer," commented the co-pilot. "The weather hardly ever seems to change around here."

"Now that you mention it, you're right. I haven't seen it change much anyways."

"It's always either too hot or too cold," the co-pilot said looking at the weather reports for this sector of the UNSC. "In both instances, it seems like the weather would have it out for us."

"Eh not entirely true," the pilot pointed towards his own data pad. The co-pilot looked at the descriptions of Blood Gulch's weather patterns. "So? Only having two months of some nice temperatures, and only for two hours per day doesn't make the situation here any better."

"Better than nothing," argued the pilot. Co-pilot sat down beside the pilot, he felt only the laziness that screamed from every part of his body thanks to the heat. "At least it's a good thing that we have these suits, otherwise we would be fried alive out here."

"Amen to that."

* * *

In the storage of Blue base, Marcus continued to rummage through the containers. _It should be here somewhere, come on_. He eyed one box from the side of his eyes with a special seal on it. _There!_ Marcus reached for the knife and broke the seal on the box. Inside he found the much needed relief he sought. Cholo entered with the final box in hand and stopped at the door for he saw his ever so serious friend gently caressing the bottle of what only seemed like medication against his cheeks. Marcus quickly retrieved his knife against the Mexican. Cholo put the box down in a hurry, and zipped the area around his mouth. "My lips are sealed on this matter."

Marcus stored his knife back with a careful nod. Cholo placed the box amidst the sea of others and stretched his back, whilst quickly eyeing the bottle. "What is so important about those pills? You have freaked out about them before as well."

"I need them," Marcus stored the bottle in one of his pouches. With one last look of confirmation and safety, he sealed the pouch. "They help me function normally everyday. But if you would like to see the crazy psychopath I can be running around the canyon without these pills, I am sure I can arrange for that."

Cholo smirked underneath his helmet with a small chuckle. _So it must be medication for the mind then, me thinks_. He exited the base towards the Pelican and gave a thumb up. The pilots acknowledged as they received one from Bonnie as well. The two men stood up at a delivery well made and headed for the cockpit. "Finally out of this boiling pit."

The Pelican lifted off into the air, and with the roaring thunder it once descended, it left for space with the loud clamour following it until they hit the stratosphere. The Pelican was now gone. Out of sight, out of mind for both the bases. Cholo retreated back towards Blue base to draft his usual delivery procurement report.

* * *

Daisy held out the contents of the box specifically addressed to her. Her glee only grew when she noticed it's contents. With both her hands stretching it, she showed off her brand new pink underwear in all its glory. "Yay, command finally approved my request for pink underwear."

"Why did you send in a request for underwear specifically, and why pink?", asked Bonnie, as she did her best to hold back the judgmental beast in its cage within her mind. Daisy stored it safely back in with the rest of the pink panties and said, "Because I like pink, and I was starting to run low. The heat here doesn't do much good for our clothes underneath you know."

"But you do realize that it will be hidden underneath all that armour, so I don't get your point for trying to get a fancy one."

"Being fashionable is important," Daisy squealed as she held her box close like a girl in the school courtyard with a love letter in hand. "It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside."

Bonnie held up a hand for the elementary girl to stop as she raised her eyebrow in confusion. _I shouldn't push this any further. More importantly however_, she pondered reaching into a box she had requested herself. Bonnie felt the leather bound texture of a book. She held it out to study its title and nodded in silence. _They got the right edition and everything. I'm impressed HQ, most impressive_. She opened the front cover to feel the golden coated pages, as smooth as the morning coffee she drank every day for fuel. Daisy bent down below to read the title of the book and instantly knew it was about psychology. "What is this book about exactly?"

"Client therapy," Bonnie answered. "I'm rusty in that domain, so I figured that it would be good to brush up on it, and hopefully get everyone here back into shape."

_Everyone, huh?_ Daisy pondered as she left with her box of presents back to her room. Bonnie studied her friend in surprise, leaving quietly when she normally expected her to make some comments in response. This was most unlike her, but people are strange at the end of the day no matter how they behave. While predictable, they can also be so very incredibly unpredictable. That random factor always threw Bonnie a curve ball, something she hated most in her line of work as a past psychologist. _I guess even Daisy would have some issues she would need to work on. But I shouldn't go down that road, main concern here is Grif_. Bonnie also held out a small mirror. She took off her helmet to reveal her short buzz cut hair. She coursed her fingers through the various bangs against her forehead to elevate them into the air. _That helmet can really do a number on my hair_.

Bonnie stared at her own features in the mirror, which reflected what she could only perceive as reality of the world around her. _I wonder_, she thought as she held the object closer. _What is it that I would have to work on?_

_I know I'm pushy, and aggressive at times_. But I only do so with the intention to help others, Bonnie placed the mirror and the book back into the box. _But maybe like Daisy tells me from time to time,_ _I try too hard. But what other flaw could there be? There must be something, after all, I'm always getting this strange feeling as if something is off_.

* * *

**A/N: That chapter was a little tougher to write, but I hope you enjoyed the slower pacing and events of this one.**

**Feedback is always welcomed!**

**Thank you for your support and readership!**

**~ Monty**


	9. Chapter 8: Welcoming Party

**Chapter 8: Welcoming Party**

Behind the thick steel walls of the maximum security island prison on Earth, William sat in his barely heated cell. His legs curled up against one another and under a thin blanket to keep as much heat in as possible. He gazed at the guards that passed by, not that they were hard to miss as they made themselves known through the music they created with their batons against the cell bars. In the cell next to his, he could hear some commotion. _It's starting again_, he pondered as he stood up and gazed to the right to see a stand off. In his time here, he had quickly learned to keep his head low and go unnoticed, at least as stealthily as his widely known reputation would allow for. The prisoner suggestively moved his body closer to the guard, and as the words of insult filled the air of his cell, he pushed the guard out of the cell. But the security officer was not one to take such behaviour sitting down. He reached for his baton quickly and smashed the prisoner's jaw in!

"Someone needs to teach you respect, you bloody waste!", the guard continued to smash the baton against the prisoner's body. With every hit, the cries overtook the insults that were once in the air. "No longer the tough guy, eh?"

The prisoner slowly dragged himself out of the cell at the order of the guard. "Now get the fuck up and make your way to the infirmary."

William watched the prisoner hobble away. Broken and battered both in his body and his ego. The guard looked around and took an unpleasant notice of William's attention on the scene. He smashed his baton against the bars and ordered for him to get back. "Mind your own business William. I will do the same to you if you don't listen!"

Williams quickly understood and retreated back to the comfort of his now cold bed. He reached for the book and opened it to the last known spot he left it off at. "Primitive buffoons, the whole lot of them."

* * *

Sometime later, a familiar bell echoed from wall to wall of the prison block. William's ears raised like a lemur's body at a frightening sound. He observed the locks unhinge and slowly the doors slid open of every cell. With sparks in the air, the doors retreated into the other side. He gently rested his book and stepped out to see the masses make way for the cell block exit. William quickly mixed in with the sea of prisoners, however he was not completely hidden as he may have thought himself to be. The guards' scornful glares were duly noted by him. But it was not the guards only he knew he needed to watch his back from. A group of inmates that followed behind him had their eyes fixated on him as well. _Being popular certainly has its downsides_. The inmates looked to the guard as they passed one. There was no malice in the exchange, instead an understanding.

Outside in the yard, William sat with his back slouched against the warm metallic walls. The sun shone a breath of freedom, but just as quickly it came, it went away with the clouds covering up the ball of light. With the wide view of the court yard, he noticed that the prisoners could easily be split up into two groups instantly, the loners and those who stuck in groups to survive here. Each type could be dangerous in their own right, but rather than the loners, it was the groups he was more wary of. A group of prisoners stood on the other end of the yard, and their eyes were fixed on him. To William, this formation was like that of a mindless mob, fuelled on emotions rather than a just cause. _I wonder, is it a mob for me or someone else?_

Inside the group of prisoners, one in the middle walked around the other three, as if a Shepard was herding his sheep. "Listen, I got the details all ironed out, you hear me?"

"Is it really necessary, I mean why are we even doing this to that old man to begin with?", asked one of the prisoners. His answer first came in the form of a forceful push with his back echo the tremors it felt against the wall. The leader released his subordinate's collar and looked to the other two. "Anyone else want to interrupt me?"

The silence was answer enough. "Good, then the reason we are doing this is because if we do this, then we are set for favours with Berkin."

"Why would Berkin even want that old man targeted?"

"Apparently the old man sent Berkin's brother to his death," the leader said pushing his subordinates aside as he walked out front to glare in William's direction. "Look, we don't need to worry too much about the details, yeah? All we need to know is that he is a piece of shit. Don't think too much. All we need to do is scare him good, a few broken bones and that should do the trick. You follow?"

One of the prisoners from behind him cracked his knuckles, and the sound was heard by all nearby. He was not a man to be trifled with right now. "Are we doing this with our bare hands or with weapons?"

"Berkins will take care of that. We do this tomorrow morning, together in the shower room," the leader announced as he dispersed the crowd. Williams watched the men go their separate way. _Looks like the mob has broken up. A shame, it was quite entertaining watching them rough one another up_. William mused to himself with a smirk. His eyes suddenly closed at the glare that shone down onto him. The sun came back with its warm embrace as he then continued his sun bath in peace. Having nearly dozed off, he was kicked awake by one of the guards. "Come with me Derekson."

Forcibly he is picked up, much to his surprise, still somewhat disorientated in his confused state of mind. "What is this?"

"Shut up," the guard pushed him inside. "Now keep on walking."

Outside, the prisoners all had a good laugh to themselves. Those that knew him were the loudest, those that simply knew him as an old man took pleasure in the simple act of yet another prisoner's torture. "He is probably going to get it now."

"He better get used to it," another said. "He is in hell here."

Hours later, William is led out the building he once entered with the guard following close. Under the darkened skies, William felt the chill of the night settle on his skin, and the hairs stood up. From behind he felt the force push him forward much to his irritation. The guard too was becoming agitated with the old man's leisurely pace. In the cell block, William found himself back inside his cell. As the guard motioned for the control tower to lock it up, he pointed to the other bed in the cell and said, "Clean that bed up. You will be getting company soon."

As soon as the guard was out of sight, William heartily breathed out. Just thinking of the guard caused the feeling of being pushed from his back to be so very clear. But more concerning was his meeting that had seemed to drag on for an eternity in that room. He could not help but breathe a simple sigh of relief. _That was nerve wrecking_. William got up to reach for the book that rested on the other bed, on top of his belongings. _The guards here really are rough_, he pondered as he stretched his shoulder. With every motion, he felt his muscles loosen. _They are exactly what I thought of them to be, primitive buffoons_. He sat back up on his bed and opened the pages to his book until his mind drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, William's ears rung with the loud morning shower alarm. He grumbled in a drowsy state as his body slowly arose like a firm wooden plank. He rubbed his eyes to wish the blurriness away and slowly walked over to the mirror. With two quick slaps to his cheeks, he was wide awake. As the sea of prisoners were leaving their cells, William quickly mixed himself in with the others. Step by step, eventually they all reached the usual morning lineup. He looked around as he rubbed his light facial hair. The guards were on edge like always, yet a monstrous glimmer was behind their eyes. _Almost as if they are just waiting to get lucky some day and watch a fight break out here_. He finally entered the showers. The feel of the cool water awoke all his senses and his blood flowed strongly throughout all parts of his body. He let the water drizzle over his head and down to his neck. He breathed out a sigh of realization. _I am still alive_, he told himself as he could still feel the very shivers he always got from cold showers.

The group of scheming prisoners entered the showers. The leader prisoner found himself stopped at the doors by the guard Berkin, who handed him his towel. "Don't fuck this up."

"We won't," the prisoner felt the towel and noticed an odd bump in its shape. The others of his gang felt the same. One of them took a peek inside and quickly became wide eyed. "Yo boss, we got this!"

"Yes, let's go, you hear me?", the leader announced as they stripped clean and entered the showers. "Remember to relax and have fun boys, try to be the last ones out, and keep the old man here."

Berkin entered the shower control room, from where they could hold dominion over the various aspects of the shower room. With great, proud strides he walked towards the main control panel. Many prisoners in the shower room felt a sudden surprise as the water increased in temperature. From every water droplet that hit the tiled floor, steam began to rise. The gang leader signalled for his subordinates to enter as soon as the steam completely covered the room. One of them cracked their knuckles and remarked, "I can't wait to feel the rush again, that thrill of seeing red smeared all over my knuckles."

William looked about to make sense of his surroundings as he was just as confused as anyone else in this room. He reached out with his hand for the shower button to try and turn it off. However, no matter the attempts, it all seemed to result in the same failure for he no longer had control. In the camera room of the shower block, the same guard that escorted William to his cell yesterday stared intently at the screens. _Damn steam, its fogging up the camera lenses_. He kicked the panel case out of sheer frustration. _I'm going to have to go down there if I want to keep an eye on him_. In the shower room, William looks around him to hardly make out any figures. The heat did not do him any favours either as sweat built up on his body. He turned back to the shower's button and continued to press it in frustration. _What the hell are the guards doing, how do they even keep this place running?!_ He pondered as he finally gave up on his pursuit. William wiped the sweat of his head as he breathed in deeply. The steam did him no favours. Yet that was the least of his concerns for behind him, he felt an overwhelming presence of multiple threats. Slowly, William turned to look at his most undesirable situation. From left, to the front and to the right, he was surrounded by the gang prisoners. "What is this?"

Slowly, he is backed against the wall and every heart beat became all the louder in his ears. The gang leader approached closer as he gently rested a small metal rod in his palm. "Look old man, this isn't anything personal, yeah? It's just the law of the jungle here."

He motioned for his men to approach and William's heart quickly sank. He knew how this would end. He was no fool, but he was no coward either for he raised his fist and swung hard at the first one that came in. His punch missed, but panic was not a shade on his face right now. Instead, only determination was present, determination to survive. As he finally got a good lick into the first prisoner, another swung into William's stomach and all strength faded from the old man's body. William felt his knees give out as another swung onto his back. William held his stomach as it churned in agony, he felt as if his last night's dinner was going to make an emergency evacuation from his body. Screams were evident to the other prisoners, who could only watch fearfully for they knew not to cross paths with this gang. One wrong move against them, and their life could be made more of a living hell than it already is with the guards here. William's voice found no time for rest as it continued to send a painful echo to the ears of others. As the gang continued to beat his still body. The guard from the the camera room quickly entered the shower room when he noticed all the prisoners to be entranced by something. He followed their stares, pushed past a few and finally came upon his answer. Just as another kick was about to make contact, the prisoner stumbled for a moment before collapsing onto the ground. Another of the gang did the same. The gang leader and the remaining gang member looked about till they found the guard amidst the steam. The guard held a sedation gun, firmly in his hands with a strong conviction to use as he had already proven.

Quickly, the prisoners made way for the guard who quickly retrieved his baton. As the gang leader swung, the guard ducked down beneath and bashed the other gang member's jaw in with his baton just before his punch could reach. The prisoner was flung hard against the wall. _Another down_. The guard was suddenly pushed back by a strong punch, but he felt no pain for his armour absorbed the impact. With a swift kick to the gang leader's groin, he let his arm become the slave to gravity as it swung down the baton hard on the prisoner's head. The final one was down as well. He looked about and shot several glares at the other prisoners. "What are you all staring at? Get out of here!"

He reached for the radio holstered onto his belt as he looked at the bodies all around. The other prisoners were long gone now. "This is Shower block E, I need immediate medical assistance here. Several wounded prisoners, casualties of varying levels."

"Copy that, sending a team your way."

"Understood, and make sure to send stretchers," the guard stored the device away and looked back to Williams with a long, elongated sigh. _You are so lucky that you struck that deal yesterday. Even the devil must be sending you some of its luck in here_. He reached down to pick William up and rested him back up against the wall. He moved the man's head about from left to right. _Looks like your face will take a while to recover, as will the rest of your body probably_. The medics arrived on the scene and quickly loaded the prisoners on to the stretchers. They all exited rather fast and hurried to the medical bay.

* * *

Strong sounds echoed, like a loud rhythmic beeping. The sharp scent of ethanol, mixed with the rose scented air stung William's nose strongly to wake him up. His eyesight cleared of the initial blur he felt from the sudden light hitting him. He held up an arm, much to his displeasure however, all points on his body ached. The guard that rescued him sat beside his bed. "You are finally awake."

"How long have you been here?"

"The whole time."

"The whole time, why?"

"It's my job," the guard spoke as he paged for a nurse to come check up on William's condition. William tried to sit up, but it was in his stomach and his back that the most pain shot up. The guard pushed the old man back down and said, "You are lucky that you made that deal with us yesterday. Otherwise you would be here with much worse injuries."

"I know," William admitted as he heard additional footsteps in the hallway now. "I maybe locked up in here, but I will deliver on my terms to the Warden. I have several influential contacts on the outside."

"And how do you plan on doing that behind these bars?"

"I have several financial assets on the outside. Many which have been kept off the paper. My team is unwavering, we will make this work."

"Are they loyal?"

"Are they loyal you ask," William closed shut his eyes and felt a hefty laughter escape him. "They will shoot themselves on my command if that is what I wanted."

The guard made way for the nurse to enter and let her do her work. The guard walked around to the other side and said, "That's some blind loyalty you got at work going on there."

"Yes, and now that you know this, be quiet about it, otherwise you won't be losing just your job here."

The nurse just finished and quickly left at the tension she felt in the air. The guard walked towards the door frame all the whilst giving one last piece of thought, "Stay out of trouble William, and behave yourself."

As he left, Berkin entered the room. His eyes were shot up with rage as he hurried over to William's bed. He was so close, he knew it, yet he had to control himself for a loss of control here would destroy everything for him in his life. "I shouldn't have left this up to that trash bag, I should have found some way of doing it myself."

_That's nice of the perpetrator to come forward_, thought William. He breathed in deep and slowly released. "Can I help you officer?"

"Yes, you can die. That would be of great help to me. I thought that they would be enough to take care of you, but clearly you have been busy in here since the day you arrived. But either way, you are a dead man."

He stepped backwards, and began to walk away. "Better watch your back in here William."

William gazed straight into Berkin's eyes and quickly averted his gaze. _Your eyes evoke a sense of sadness. I take it that you lost someone_. "Fine, then come at me like a man rather than fight from the shadows like a coward."

Berkin left quietly, and by-effect caused the stronghold on William's lungs to loosen. William looked around the room and nodded to himself. _I like this place much better than my dingy cell_. He looked towards the door frame and felt his face drop with a much serious thought. _A storm is coming. But now is the time to make fast work of this place_.

* * *

**A/N: A shorter chapter this time around and not a whole lot happened in terms of significant progress. But I hope you are enjoying this slower pace. Any constructive feedback is welcomed!**

**Thank you for reading and your continued support!**

**~ Monty**


	10. Chapter 9: Home Sweet Home

**Chapter 9: Home Sweet Home**

Tucker pushed down with all his might against the hard cased suitcase. He felt every fibre of his arms stress, and his teeth grit with effort as several grunts escaped him. As soon as he eased even for one second, the suitcase would come undone like an explosion just waiting to happen. "Shit, why won't this thing just stay shut?"

Church and Sigma materialized to his side as they took somewhat of a sadistic pleasure in the scene. Church hovered down to the suitcase and observed the several gifts inside. "Want me to call Junior for help?"

"No, I can do this myself, I'm not that helpless," Tucker snarled. "But I wonder if I got too many souvenirs."

"There is no such thing as too many souvenirs," Church commented. Sigma agreed in a nod. "Especially not when there are people waiting for us back home."

"Yeah, maybe I will give them these souvenirs in exchange for favours," Tucker thought for a moment with a sigh. "That would be pretty cool."

"Slow down there," Church hovered to Tucker's eye level and said, "As badass as you are right now, even you can't stop a canyon full of competent soldiers."

Tucker stopped a moment from what he was doing and stared rather intently at his friend. Church felt the stare to be most uncomfortable as he shifted in his spot. "W- what?"

"I'm just surprised to hear you use the word competent when talking about the Blood Gulch."

"My bad, I guess its mostly competent."

"Ah, a downgrade," Tucker laughed. "Now that's more like you, Church."

* * *

Outside, Junior stood with his chest held out wide and a smile painted all across his face. The sun covered the top of his head in a warm bask and the gentle breeze painted the sides of his face in a refreshing chill. The two feeling mixed to create a sense of calm. The streets were bustling with the lives of others, people going shopping, kids playing in the streets and other animals going from individual to individual, wanting attention. He observed every detail that made this moment of his so blissful, so perfect. All of it, everything seemed to be at peace except for one little detail. He heard the echo from Tucker's room. Several curses spat out his room's window and the young Sangheilli looked in his father's direction with a smirk. _I guess that does constitute for normal with him, so the day is still normal_. He went back inside to his own room to retrieve a memory he was very fond of and walked towards Tucker's room. Tucker took notice of the figure in the door frame before Junior even had a chance to knock. "Hey son, what's up?"

Junior held up a baseball glove, one of which he already wore and the other he motioned towards his dad. "How about it?"

Tucker grinned as he saw his son's hopeful smirk, the very same he would get whenever Junior asked for his dad to play with him in Blood Gulch. "You are on. Let's do this."

Junior threw his dad the glove and Tucker could feel an instant difference in strength. _He has certainly gotten stronger. I guess I shouldn't need to hold back then_. Tucker followed his son outside as he tightly fastened the glove around his catching hand. He threw the ball up in the air and caught it with the glove. Again he did the same, as if getting himself into the rhythm. _Alright, here we go_, he thought throwing the ball with all his strength. Junior caught it firmly with a little kickback. "Good throw dad!"

"I should be saying that to you instead," Tucker announced as he nearly lost balance at the sudden spike in power of Junior's throw. He nearly fell back, and just barely managed to retain his balance. "Something on your mind?"

"No, nothing much."

"You know," Tucker caught another and threw it back to his son. "I can still tell when something is bothering you kiddo, come on, talk to me."

"It is just that it is your last day here," Junior said with a resolute catch. He threw the ball back and stretched his arms. "I just wanted to make sure to spend it with you as much as possible."

_That's cute_, thought Tucker. _Yeah, real adorable_, echoed the sarcastic words in his mind. Tucker was less than pleased at the sudden intrusion. "Thanks Church, you know what I need, and just when I need it."

_You're welcome, I'm so glad I stuck around with you to see this day. Daddy Tucker getting all gushy inside_, Church mused. Junior caught the ball again and looked at it for a moment. "Dad, why is it that you always throw it first?"

"Why you ask," Tucker pondered upon catching the next throw. "I guess it's because I have always been the one to throw first ever since we played catch. I guess its like a tradition for me. So, no working around that one kiddo."

Junior reached out to catch another, but it fell through the little opening in his hands. He bent down to pick it up with a gentle sigh. Staring down, he gazed at the clean ball with his eyes half closed. Tucker walked closer and bent down to his son's level. "Everything alright?"

"I will miss you when you are gone, dad."

Tucker quickly reached out and flicked his son's strong head. "Me too, its been fun while I have been here. But let's not get all sad about this now."

He stood up, taking the ball in one hand and walked back to his original spot. "There are tons of interesting people here, and the community is very welcoming. Plus, the women are not a bad sight to look at either if you catch my drift, even if they are alien chicks."

"Honk-Chika-Honk-Honk!", Junior quickly exclaimed. Tucker laughed saying, "That's my boy!"

Junior caught the next throw and passed it back with equal, if not more strength. Tucker once more nearly stumbled back as he looked at the ball in his hand now. "You have grown up to be very strong."

"Oh, sorry dad. I will throw it more gently next time."

"Don't," Tucker retaliated as he held the ball up towards Junior. "This is a proud sign for me that you are doing just fine in life, and that you are slowly finding your way in it, especially with family matters, like with Rheai."

"You know, If I do, how should I ask her _the_ question?"

"Just ask her, be straight about it with her," Tucker threw the ball in his son's direction and said, "If there is enough trust built between the two of you, then you don't need any fancy theatrics or some crap like that."

Junior held the ball for longer than he should have as Tucker was beginning to feel the onset of annoyance. Junior looked at the built-up dirt and asked, "Will you ever get married father?"

"Let's not go into those unsettling waters," Tucker smirked as Junior finally threw the ball. Tucker firmly caught it and bounced it up and down in his gloved hand. "That time is long gone for me now. I have chosen to make those at Blood Gulch my family, and with you here, I think I'm kept busy enough."

"Muuunnn..."

Tucker had a soft chuckle to himself as a memory from Junior's younger days surfaced. _He made the same sound when he was young, it's cute hearing that again_. Tucker threw the ball in his son's direction and said, "Don't be sad about that kiddo. I'm still alive, which is more than what I can say for some people I have lost in my life. I just hope not to lose anymore in the way they died."

Tucker looked up at the stars with a widened grin. "Plus, I have learned after being a soldier for so long that my calling is in doing what we do best, to take down evil jerks that are out to make other people's lives miserable for bullshit reasons."

"But are you not ever afraid of death?"

"I'm terrified of it," Tucker admitted, and in one quick swoop he shared the dread with his son. "I'm even more so terrified of it because I know I have so much to lose. But I also accept that no one lives forever."

"Careful there buddy," Church quickly interjected between the two players. "You are starting to sound a little mature there."

Church quickly retreated into his storage unit however upon getting a most displeased look from his host. Junior bounced the ball of the side of his house as he stretched his throwing arm. "Do you ever regret joining the military, father?"

"Nope," he quickly answered. "If I hadn't, I wouldn't be the person I'm today. You wouldn't be here, I wouldn't have had such a great son. Sure there are many bad, even tragic things that have happened, but a lot of good things have also come out of me sticking with it."

"Well, you are welcomed to come back any time you want here father," Junior opened his arms and pointed to the house. "Be it as a soldier, or as a civilian."

"I may take you up on that offer the next time I can make time for a vacation," Tucker mused as the two finished playing catch. Sigma burst from a ball of fire. "Gentlemen, it is almost time for our departure. You would not want to miss your flight Tucker."

"Good point," Tucker noted as he rushed inside. Junior headed for the garage and slowly backed out his car. Junior unlocked the trunk and helped his father settle the bags inside. Junior took the driver's seat and asked, "Ready?"

"As ready as I will ever be for these moments."

Junior slowly backed out into the street and quickly drove off. Every store on the way was etched into Tucker's memory. He looked back to one and shook his head. _I never visited that one. I should make sure to do so the next time I come here_. He looked ahead at the bustling street and noted. "I will miss this place. It's very alive, and vibrant."

"Then next time, I will show you even more places," Junior offered to which Tucker nodded his head. "Deal."

* * *

At the airport, Junior gently pulled into the parking just as Tucker collected a baggage cart. Junior with his mighty strength loaded all the bags onto the cart and guided his father inside to the check-in console. As Tucker checked in and watched his bags disappear into the darkness behind the rubber flaps, he checked the time to his flight and gently patted his son on his back. "Well, looks like this is it."

Junior quickly reached in for a hug, nearly crushing Tucker in the process who soon after returned the gesture. "Thanks for the hospitality. And maybe the next time I come, I may bring more people along to see the cool things I saw here."

"The more the merrier," Junior smiled as he loosened his grip on his father. Tucker's AI companions popped up beside him with Church slowly rubbing his mouth piece. "I don't know why, but I feel kind of bummed out about this."

"Thanks for visiting uncle Church and Sigma!"

"No problem," Church replied as he snapped his fingers in Junior's direction. "Make sure to take care of yourself and your lady."

Tucker rubbed his son's back once more and agreed. "Yeah, and I hope to see some grand kids real soon."

To the Sangheili's ears, they were words from which a deep blush quickly painted across Junior's cheeks. Tucker laughed heartily as he held his stomach tightly. "You know, now that I think on it, I do sound like a nagging parent, don't I?"

"That is not a bad thing," Junior replied with a wide smile. Tucker shook his shoulders and said, "Maybe so, but regardless of what I say, remember to take things at your own pace. Things will happen when they happen."

With one last exchange, Tucker walked beyond the gates from which Junior could no longer accompany him. He browsed the area as soon as he was past the security and made his way for the departure terminal. An area simple in design which led out with two sliding doors, splitting apart to the outside runways. Tucker stared out at the various long distance travel luxury ships, and the one UNSC Pelican that sat snuggled up into the one corner. Two humans waited out and about. Tucker knew instantly that this was his ride. _Wow, I get a Pelican all to myself, fancy_. He rushed over and they proceeded with his identity check. One of them nodded to the other and all three boarded for a quick take off. The pilot entered the cockpit to begin the pre-launch checks as the co-pilot helped Tucker familiarize himself with the safety rules of this trip.

"Dude, I get it. Just don't move from my seat and all should be fine," Tucker spoke up as he checked the restraints around him. The engines revved up with a loud roar. The co-pilot raised his arms and with a very thick Indian accent, he said, "As long as you get it, it will be a joyride!"

"But it sure is nice of the UNSC to give me the royalty treatment going back," said the aqua soldier. The co-pilot looked to the cockpit and knew his time to take his place neared. "Well that's because you are a badass, and that gets you them perks now. Also, I love the colour of your armour buddy!"

The co-pilot entered the cockpit just as the back door lifted into the air against the locks. Tucker took a quick peek into the cockpit and cleared his throat to speak. "By the way, will any of you guys be coming back here again for the rest of the trip?"

"Only when we reach Blood Gulch."

"Cool!", Tucker exclaimed as he snuggled up into his seat. Church materialized beside him, onto the seat to his left. "Why would you even ask that?"

"Shh," Tucker raised a finger promptly towards his friend's mouth piece. "It's alone time now Church, and what happens in alone time-"

"Okay, I'm going to stop you right there," Church checked Tucker's data banks in his armour and shook his head in disappointment. "Let's get rid of this and this. There, now you can't even dare to do it."

"Wha- my in-flight entertainment, bastard!"

"Don't make yourself so obvious then."

"You guys could have always logged off if you didn't want to see the action," Tucker moaned as he slumped backwards with a whine. Church stepped onto Tucker's shoulder and leaned close to his visor. "I will not be caught in public with my host jerking off."

"Pussy," Tucker looked away with his cheeks puffed. Beneath his feet, he felt the floor shake as the bird began to take off. The turbulence increased with the rising altitude. Soon they were out into space, and as Junior watched from the ground, he wished his father a safe journey home and for the next trip to be even sooner than this one.

* * *

At Blood Gulch, the several echoes of gun fire bounced from wall to wall of the canyon, and into the bases. Caboose ran around the whole canyon, doing several laps in a matter of minutes that would put even the healthiest of athletes to shame, and break all records. "Wooohoooo, today is the day that Tucker and Church come back, yaaaayyyy!"

He reloaded the magazine in his rifle and began firing once more. Bonnie from Red base's roof looked at the wasteful use of ammo and felt a little agitated, some much so that she wanted to go down and tell Caboose otherwise. "You know what, his wasteful use of our ammunition bothers me, it really bothers me."

"Don't think too much into this!", Daisy said gently holding her friend back. "Let him be. It's kind of fun seeing Caboose be this excited for something. Around here, you and I both know that we can use a bit more of that daily."

Atop Blue base, Marcus looked up at the sky as Caboose began another barrage. _Maybe something tasty will get hit up there and fall from the sky. Then I can have something different than the usual military rations. Maybe something like chicken, a man can dream_. To his side, Cholo tapped his feet and felt his voice dance to the happy tune of Caboose. His voice grew louder and higher in pitch. A few moments in and he felt his lungs dry. With a deep breath in, he continued to sing his merry tune to the cheerful cries of their blue companion. "Come on Marcus, join in. You know you want to."

"No thanks."

"Well I'm going to join regardless," Cholo prepared his rifle and ran down to the area Caboose inhabited and both began to scream in unison of their leader's return. Now with both shooting ammo into the air, like money vanishing into thin air, Bonnie felt a nerve pop up. "Ugh, the self control is so difficult to maintain. I have to go down there and stop it!"

Bonnie looked back to her friend as she felt a surprise slap. Daisy shook her head and motioned towards the two carefree individuals. "Lighten up Bonnie, look at them having the time of their life right now. Maybe we should go join them down there."

"Yeah right, in your dreams. You will have to force me down there in order for me to be seen anywhere near that scene."

"Huh, well you know its almost lunch time and I was thinking of making something," Daisy smirked as Bonnie swallowed her own spit. "But if we go join the other two in the center of the canyon right now, we could put it off."

But before Daisy even needed to say anymore, Bonnie was already on ground floor, running at top speed with a fist high up in the air. Daisy quickly followed with a giggle. _I'm so glad that works every time, like a charm_. "Now Bonnie, let's scream in joy of Tucker's return!"

"Yeah," Bonnie mumbled in a most monotone voice her enthusiasm could muster. "Hooray, he is returning."

"He is returning!", Daisy shouted even louder than the two men who stopped in their track. A smile grew across their faces upon seeing the excitement expand. Daisy jumped up and down as she looked at the sky. "I can't wait to see what Santa Tucker brings back for us!"

In the Pelican, Tucker shifted to look around. He could see the blue atmosphere of the planet that Blood Gulch resides in. The door to the cockpit opened and allowed the co-pilot a clean exit. "We are about to enter the atmosphere."

"Cool," Tucker looked at the man and said, "By the way, no offence but it's hard to understand you with your thick Indian accent."

"Pssh, you totally meant that with offence," Church quipped to which Tucker remained quiet for a moment. As he thought for a minute he finally nodded, "Yeah, okay, I take back the no offence. We still cool Indian dude?"

"I will forgive you only because of your cool armour colour."

"Nice," said Tucker. "Good to know that there isn't a high bar here."

* * *

The Pelican's hull vibrated as an orange glow began to flare all around the ship. Tucker looked out to the burning rage of the atmosphere. With the aid of his gravity boots, he held fast onto the ground, as did the co-pilot. Sigma appeared beside them just as they broke through the atmosphere. "Gentlemen, I would say we are about 300 m out from reaching our destination."

"Where will you guys drop me off?", asked Tucker as he stretched his limbs. The co-pilot reached for a bag near the rear door and shoved it towards Tucker. The aqua soldier looked down at the parachute bag with a raised eyebrow. Before he could utter a single word, the co-pilot quickly moved to fasten the bag to the back of Tucker's armour. "Hey dude, what are you doing?"

As soon as the bag was tightly fastened around Tucker's back, the co-pilot released the safety on the rear door and slowly brought it down. Tucker's eyes widened at the clear realization, as clear as the cloudless skies, of what was going to happen. "No fucking way."

"We are now over Blood Gulch," said Sigma. The co-pilot walked back to the retreating soldier, only to force him out. "Hey, hey, you realize how crazy this is?"

"Yeah, fun times will be had!", the co-pilot exclaimed as he leaned Tucker over with force. Tucker's only saving grace was the hand that held him from falling at the moment. The co-pilot looked down below till they reached the mid-point of the canyon. He took out the bags and said, "Hope you enjoyed vacation time, but now that's over. Time for you to go back to being a badass!"

Tucker quickly retreated back into the safe confines of the Pelican only to be stopped by the co-pilot's disgusting action. The man threw out Tucker's bags into free fall. Tucker looked from the sky to the co-pilot and could only utter a few silent words. "I fucking hate you right now, I hope you choke on your own spit!"

As Tucker stared out, he suddenly felt a kick to his back, his balance gone and the skies took him into a free falling embrace. "Oh, fucking bullshitttttttt!"

"Bye buddy," the co-pilot screamed with a large wave. "Have a wonderful time!"

Tucker flailed his arms wildly like a baby bird trying to learn to fly. The air hitting against his armour only got fiercer with the decreasing altitude. But no matter the height, the heaves could still hear of his curses, worse than a sailor man's mouth on a drunken night out. Everyone at ground level looked up to the loud cussing that the skies saw fit to drop into their canyon. _Yup, that's Tucker alright_, thought all as they could soon make out the aqua form in its approach. Having neared the ground, the parachute on the luggage deployed with a gentle bump in the ride, and it landed safely onto the dry grass. Tucker looked back to his parachute as he now reached a level too close for comfort to the ground. "Eh, guys, what's going on?"

No answer, only silence. This silence which did very little for the health of his heart. "Church, Sigs, what the hell is going on with this fucking parachute?!"

"Quit being a pussy, you can handle it," said Church as he materialized beside his host. Tucker instantly shook his head at the mere thought of the proposition. "No, no, no! I will be a pussy all that I like here, get me the fuck down safely you assholes!"

"Panic will not solve anything," Sigma spoke as he activated the jets on Tucker's armour. Tucker felt his body hit against the padding of the armour. His whole body shook from the sudden impact. He looked at the rough textured gravel that neared as he gently touched his feet onto some much needed solid ground. All strength had abandoned him for he used what little strength he had to keep himself elevated on the ground. Just as the mere thought of his safe landing crossed his mind, he heard a most strange clicking noise. The bag burst open and the flap of cloth and strings ejected up into the sky, and quickly down atop him. "Oh, ha-fucking hardy ha! Gotta love this shitty UNSC equipment!"

He took the bag off and threw it up into the air with the violent shake of his fist. The co-pilot stretched his neck down far as he squinted his black eyes behind the visor to gaze at the safe landing. "That looked like fun, super fun yeah, did you have fun?"

"No."

"That's strange, it normally seems like they all have fun. But then again, I don't hear from them ever again when they touch the ground. Strange things happening!"

"I can't even begin to guess why that could possibly be happening," Tucker remarked as he bent a little down to lean against his knees. He felt his stomach still churn from the panicked experience. "It would be real good now if you guys can piss off."

"Cheer up," the co-pilot replied in his thick accent that seemed to only grow thicker with every word to Tucker's ears. "All that stress of being worked up is no good for your blue. Ta-ta, see you around my fantastically blue man!"

* * *

The Pelican was out of sight as it rose towards the atmosphere. Tucker finally felt his body give out as he held his stomach tightly. _Oh god, not good_. He slowly stood up with a slight limp. Everyone that had heard his cries mid-fall quickly appeared onto the scene. The strong, yet simple minded Caboose excitedly rushed over before anyone could approach Tucker close and raised his rifle into the air with an excited release of gunfire. "Yay, Tucker came home!"

Cholo promptly joined in as regardless of the strange looks he received from Marcus. Caboose holstered his rifle as he saw Church materialize beside Tucker. "I'm always surprised to see how you can always be in such high spirits buddy."

"Not always," Caboose mumbled as he recalled his lost ex-freelancer friend. "But I do my best, and that is why I will eat more cookies and drink more orange juice today!"

"Hi Caboose," Tucker greeted with slow, yet noticeable movements. His legs squirmed as he stood up even taller in an effort to straighten up. He instantly noticed a greedy aura in the group. Cholo's eyes shot a fixated stare towards Tucker's bags. The aqua soldier snickered, "Gee, how good it is to be missed as your dear leader."

As sharp as his stare was, Cholo's eyes turned to pierce the skies above them with a most unconvincing whistle. Suddenly, Tucker felt something drop in his stomach as his bowels moved far too much for his liking. He slowly turned towards Blue base, and with a hobble he limped away to his one singular goal at the moment. Bonnie stared at the long time canyon inhabitant with a raised eyebrow and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Brilliant, I just need to go use the toilet," Tucker moaned as he held back a painful groan. "It feels like my ass got turned inside out from that psycho's method of dropping me off here."

"Gross," said Daisy as Marcus simply rested his chin in his hand. The other hand supported his elbow with a most contemplative moan. "How does someone's ass get turned inside out? Maybe if they were to use a suction tool to do it, then maybe-"

He felt a sudden pressure on his shoulder as he witnessed Bonnie with her hand against her mouthpiece. "Not another word, don't go there."

For the pink Daisy however, it was already too late for the ground felt the full force of her disgust. Bonnie eyed her friend with an evident pity as she tightened her grip on him, only to have it quickly be deflected by him. "Don't go any deeper into that territory, Marcus."

"Oh, I would love to go deeper into your territory," Cholo slowly raised his eyebrows as he spread his legs wide open. The offer was met with a swift kick to the balls, so one could say his action for the offer was not a total waste. If the canyon had ears, all it would hear right now is the toddler like squeal of a grown man holding his crotch. "I...I regret nothing!"

* * *

**A/N: Tucker is finally back from his vacation and hopefully a little more relaxed. Hopefully you enjoyed his time together with Junior and all the things that have happened in Junior's life worth outlining. Both are making progress in their lives regardless of speed, and I definitely wanted to show that. Now you can read some of the antics Tucker could get into with the rest of the BGC. See you in the next chapter!**

**~ Monty**


	11. Chapter 10: A Childhood Face

**Chapter 10: A Childhood Face**

In the corner of the well-lit kitchen in the beach resort, Simmons watched the bubbles form with every scrub, and disappear with the force of the running water. The clear water that flowed freely without any worries, the water he could not see himself taking the shape of for his mind felt too sludgy. He rinsed the plate and dried it with the towel hanging on his shoulder. After drying, he placed the dishes in a neat, and organized manner onto the tray to the right of the sink. He looked back out to the serving floor as his eye lids slowly dropped halfway with the laziness that was accompanied by the thoughts knocking on his door. _That was the first time I saw Carolina be so strict when she verbally reprimanded me for being late_. He rested another dish in the drying tray and looked at the darkened water in one sink, where the dishes begged for their chance at being cleaned next. He slowly slithered his fingers up to his chest and let out a heavy breath like a tired athlete. His eyes squeezed shut to the noises around him for he was now only left alone with his darkness. _Why do I feel so weak right now, why does everything seem to go wrong?!_

A sudden chilly gust alerted Simmons as his eyes burst open. He took in a deep, momentary breath and looked in the direction of his back. The glaze of pink and red were now a familiar sight, and one he dared not be frightened of anymore. Beside them stood his two long lost connections too, Edwards and Elsie. Edwards looked over the counter and hummed a happy tune to himself. He watched the various workers go about their duties, when he suddenly stopped and to Simmons the world had gone silent. The silence only broke with the footsteps that turned Edwards towards Simmons. Edwards wore a saddened expression, but worse than that, one of pity as he asked, "Is this what you imagined your life to come to?"

Simmons shook his head as he quickly ignored the hallucination. However, as much as he wanted to ignore his ghosts, they certainly did not take too kindly to the gesture. Simmons heard a sudden thud behind him and looked to find a head on the ground, covered in crimson coated grey hair. Elsie's body fell to its knees, as she finally arched forward to reveal her exposed neck. Simmons' mind was blank for the moment, then filled with panic, and the panic turned to terror. Yet he masked every second of it, he let every second of it fall to the wayside for he maintained an iron face. Edwards bent down to his grandmother and lifted her head. He slowly held it close with his voice breaking. He asked, "Is this normal life giving you the peace you need?"

Donut felt his legs weaken, and with the uncompromising pull of gravity, the pinkie fell. Like a bomb, he exploded from his torso to cover the corner of the kitchen in dark red. No inch was spared and Simmons was made most familiar with the haunting war memories. _Is it you next Sarge?_ He wondered as he eyed his mentor. Simmons reached for a dirty water glass to his side, with a tight squeeze, as if it was a stress ball. The young boy approached his best friend with the head in hand, his expression slowly turned grim as he held Simmons by his jeans. Edwards held up Elsie's head in one hand and dug his nails into Simmons' leg with the other, all the whilst asking, "Is this how you handle the guilt and fear?!"

Yet another familiar sound pierced his ears, a needler shot several bullets. Sarge grunted at the impact as he quietly fell to the floor. Blood trailed down his red armour, and turned the once colour of bravery, hope and leadership into a painful memory. _No more_, Simmons pondered as he struggled against Edwards. But his struggle spelled a useless effort for he knew that the ghosts would never leave him alone. He was too precious to them to just let go so easily. A beeping suddenly echoed from Edwards' neck collar. _Please, no more..._

The head exploded like a watermelon suddenly depressurized, red in all different directions with hard pieces of the collar and the skull. The grey matter, and the eyeballs mixed into the explosion left a trail of several liquids behind Simmons, forever a mark of his monumental failure. The lives he cost by being unable to act, being unable to decide and being unable to control the situation he was given. _Let me be, leave me alone_. He felt his grip loosen on the glass, and as the loud shatter scattered the pieces all across the floor, his mind came running back to reality. He looked with a jolt around to the gazes he had gathered at the sudden noise. _There is no blood_, he thought studying his clean uniform. _There is no blood at all_. Other employees quickly rushed to his side as they studied the situation with relief, no personnel injury was sustained. At least not any they could see. One attended to him as another began to clean the glass. He shook his head slowly, _I will never be alright like this_. He slowly trembled in his spot at the mere thought of their return. _Do I have any options left, am I really that helpless?_

* * *

The main door to the kitchen swung open with vigour, and in the door frame stood the two owners. Both Carolina and David hastened their approach towards the scene as they held him still till his trembling bid him adieu. The others could only stare in silence as Simmons left the scene with the help of the two owners. With the brisk pace, Carolina opened the porch doors, facing outwards towards the glimmering ocean. David gently led the way in front of Simmons and guided him out to the empty table. As the two settled in, David looked out to several kids playing on the beach with a small smile creeping up on him as he observed their antics. "Simmons, what happened in there, why did you suddenly drop the glass?"

"Why you ask...," Simmons murmured as he felt an uncomfortable itch in his legs. "I...I saw _them_ again."

David looked at his friend in silence, so strong that only the noise of the wind remained in their ears. The nerves were unbecoming of the two as the silence dragged on beyond their comfort zones. David finally spoke up, "Have you been taking your medication?"

"Yeah."

"Are you eating properly?" asked David as he studied Simmons from head to toe. "You look a little weak."

Simmons felt his neck muscle move almost instinctively as he shook his head at the question. "I just don't have much of an appetite nowadays."

David leaned back into his chair with a worried sigh, but before he could continue his train of thought, the hard sounds of heels hitting against the wooden floor alerted them to Carolina's presence. She gently rested a tray of coffee cups, freshly brewed with her cinnamon magic touch to it. David took one and rested it in front of Simmons. He took her hand in his and wore a smile as wide as his lips would allow. "Thanks, hon."

"What's this I heard about you not eating properly?" asked Carolina as she sipped on the sweet brew. David waited for an answer, but the silence was less than convincing for the two of them. He cleared his throat after taking a sip and said, "Simmons, you are a smart guy. You should already know the importance of eating. Maybe think about visiting the clinic again for something that could help you with this."

Simmons felt his heart drop a few beats as his upper lip danced to a sudden twitch. His mind weighed it's options, yet felt bogged down by the irate suggestions. _But this is all that they can do to help in their own way I suppose_. He released the tightened breath in silence as the tension cleared and the breeze around him felt gentle once more. The coffee entered with an explosion of sweetness as it touched his tongue, yet the ever so familiar sourness followed fast, quickly pushing aside the cinnamon taste. Carolina looked at Simmons' rather relaxed expression to the golden horizon, like a lamp burning brightly, yet just on the cusp of going dark. "I have always liked this view."

"Yeah," David agreed as he gently rubbed her hand in his. "It's very peaceful."

A quick bursts of loud beeping originated from Carolina's wrist watch. She looked down to observe the time. Quickly she picked up her cup and finished her drink. "I have to get going."

"The kids?" asked David. She promptly nodded her head as she bent down to kiss him on the cheek. She stood back up with the squeeze of his hand and said, "Don't forget that it's date night tonight."

Simmons felt the heat in his cheeks rise at the scene. _I still haven't outgrown this awkwardness ever since I was a kid. How stubborn can I actually be?_ He pondered having caught the whole exchange from the side of his eyes. _They definitely look good together though, a power couple. I wonder what it would be like to have a significant other in my life, how it would affect me, their thinking, their way of living. Would someone as broken as me even be worth it?_

"Drive safe," advised David as she waved one last time. Into the more nuanced shadows of the lodge inside. Barely coated by the flaring sun as it was nearly hidden behind the horizon. David took the last sip of his coffee before he was met by the empty surface much to his annoyance. "By the way, how is the work coming along on the latest bugs we found on the company website?"

"Heh, I thought you might ask about that," Simmons admitted as he played with the rim of the cup. "Honestly, I haven't made too much progress. Every time I sit down to try and code, I always become...distracted."

David looked out to the beach, but the wind could not cover up the noise of his slow sigh, filled with disappointment. _He has been working on this for two months now, that's too long_. David looked back to his friend and felt himself bite his lower lip. _But I have to remember that not all is well in paradise with him_. He stood up to stretch his back. The hair raising cracks from his muscles were carried with the wind to all nearby. David's eyes widened as he quickly arched forward against the table. "Uh oh, that didn't sound good. I'm really feeling my age now."

David stretched his shoulders back and forth, and his spin from one side to the other. He took in the deep, refreshing breath of the wind and slowly let it out. With his lungs rejuvenated, he walked towards the beach. _PTSD, crazy stuff_, he thought recalling his time as Recovery One. No amount of talks with the Counsellor, 'Aiden Price', had helped, no one could have understood the torment his mind put him through as his family had fallen apart, and all that the Freelancer project did for him was to treat him like just another number on the balance sheet. "Simmons, you know, this might sound pretentious of me to say since unlike Carolina and me right now, its you who is suffering. But believe me when I say this, we know that what you are experiencing is not easy, in fact it might actually be worse than what I went through."

He stopped a moment to consider his words, as his mind played around with different sentences. "PTSD is no fun. But I won't let you wallow in self-pity all the the time. This will sound cruel to say, but you need to remain functioning in your everyday life, otherwise more than just one aspect may suffer and feel the consequences for your failure to do so."

"Are you implying something?" Simmons asked as he felt himself pushed back by David's words against the chair, almost squeezing himself into a ball. David held up his hands and said, "No, I'm just giving you something to think about."

David took their cups inside as he looked back one last time prior to entering the kitchen. _I wonder if I screwed up there in my choice of words. Was I too harsh with him? _He pondered as he entered the kitchen and put down the cups for washing. He came back out to see his friend still in the chair, sitting like a rock statue with a gaze far off into the distance. "Simmons, take the rest of the day off."

"What?" Simmons suddenly jolted out of his gaze and raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, just take if off and relax," David offered with a smile. Simmons quickly gathered his belongings from the employees room and exited towards the parking lot. _Maybe I will visit the clinic and see if there is some solution for my hunger deficiency_, thought Simmons pulling out of the parking lot. He quickly reached the clinic as he resided just ten short minutes down the road from the lodge. He rested the helmet on the bike's seat and tied it around the frame. He looked towards the entrance with a rather annoyed expression, and a sigh. "This may as well be my second home now."

* * *

Inside the sparkling clean building, he stood by the reception desk. His hand rested atop the smooth wooden counter. He felt no imbalances upon the surface, it was clean down to the very last possible speck of dust. He looked at the nurse busy on the hospital phone. She beamed him a courteous smile as she raised a gesture of five fingers. Simmons gently nodded with a slow turn towards the waiting area. _Hmm, should I come back another day?_ He pondered just as another patient sat down to eagerly await their turn. He heard the phone piece rest against the docking station and quickly shifted his attention back to the neatly dressed receptionist. She fixed her hat, gently around her hair buns and asked, "What can I do for you today, sir?"

Simmons retrieved his veteran card and slid it in her general direction. "I need to see a doctor to help prescribe some medication for hunger issues."

"Of course," she said whilst working on her computer. She rested a number card alongside his veteran card and instructed, "Please take a seat. When your number is called, you can go in."

"Thanks," he quickly found himself a rather scenic spot that allowed him great visibility into the waiting area, the reception and a part of the white marble tiled hallway leading to the check-up rooms. _A very tactical choice, as Sarge would have said_. Simmons tucked his card away and sat with his legs crossed over one another. Simmons' eyes scanned from his right to his left. Just to the seat on his left, sat an older man. He too fashioned a beard, yet much larger and greyer than anything Simmons could ever imagine on himself. His hair was shaggier and his cloths baggy even in this hot summer. _Strange_, he thought as he studied the man's hands and saw the trimmed nails. _He takes care of himself, so what's with the clothes and the hair?_

Some time passed and the silence of the waiting room continued to drown the noises of the reception desk. The man to his left cleared his throat with a loud gruff, and spoke in a hoarse voice, "What platoon were you in?"

The ex-simulation trooper looked at the stranger with a raised eyebrow. He stared at the man with both silence and confusion painted like an oil painting. "What?"

"I know you were in the military, son."

"And how would you know that?" asked Simmons. The older man pointed towards the reception area and said, "I noticed the way you walked in. That was not the walk of a normal person. You have a slight limp."

"So what if i do?"

"A lot of people from the military do," the old man clarified as he pointed down to his own knees. "It's pretty common, since we had to jump down onto the ground so often, as we braced for impact. You must have seen some crazy stuff in battle out there. So, what unit are you from?"

Simmons rested his fingers onto his chin as he stared at his knees. "You could tell just from that?"

"You have a familiar look on your face, same as mine," the old man elaborated as he motioned around his eyes. "Those eyes say that you go through a lot of the same things as I do."

"So then, you come here often?"

The older man nodded his head as he held out an empty bottle of prescribed medication. "As much as it sucks, my body has become reliant on this medication now and the doctors to help me to keep on functioning in this cruel world."

"Why do you think the world is cruel?" inquired Simmons, only to earn a scornful smirk from the older man. He motioned around as well as took out his veteran card. "We spend all that time out there, fighting the wars so people back here can feel safe. But when we come back, how much can you say with confidence is being done for us that we could consider to be reasonable?"

Silence was the answer that greeted the older man. He in turn continued to speak. "What have they done for the blood and limbs the soldiers have given?!"

The man weathered from war and this world pointed downward towards his legs to which Simmons noticed a slight shine from his right foot. A metal casing was connected between the right calf and the foot of the old man. Below the metal casing was one long thin metal rod, connected on a swivel to a rubber coated foot like object. Simmons looked at the engraving on the rod as his lips slowly quivered with the realization. _War_, he pondered as a distant bang exploded in his ears. _Fucking war_, he thought squeezing shut his eyes. He heard the explosions near as his hands tightly gripped his knees. His panic served as further proof of the man's claims. _Were he given the treatment he needed, would he be suffering as such right now?_ Wondered the man, _I think not_. He gently rested a hand on his conversationalist's shoulder and said, "Take a deep breath."

Simmons slowly nodded his head as he caught himself in proper form again. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Don't be, I chose to go out there and fight," said the man as he leaned back into his chair, and snuggled back into the warmer regions of the chair leather. "I just wish that people would recognize veterans more and get them the aid they need upon their return."

"You kept on asking about my unit," said Simmons as he held out his dog tags. "I was never part of any proper UNSC outfit. I was with the Red army from the simulation troopers."

"A Sim trooper, where were you stationed?"

"Blood Gulch."

The older man felt his chest drop along with his heart. He looked around to see the world still move as it always had been, yet his mind felt a strange disturbance in the flow of time, a dilation effect. He felt his eyelids stretch as wide as they could, and his mouth fell open with great weight. "You guys...you guys are quite famous."

"Yeah, I know," Simmons admitted as he proceeded to avert his gaze. "I have gotten that quite a bit unfortunately."

"Unfortunately? Why unfortunately?"

"I just want to leave that chapter of my life behind," the ex-Red soldier admitted. "I just want to live my life as a normal person."

The older man nodded in a sense of understanding as he shifted his weight closer to Simmons' and said, "If you ever feel like it, there is a veteran's club you can come out to. We meet every second week of the month on Tuesdays, down at the bar "Katrina Drinks" on eighteenth avenue, downtown."

"We will now see patient number 195!"

* * *

Simmons looked in the direction of the feminine, yet strong voice calling out to him. He nodded in the direction of the old man and proceeded to follow the nurse towards the checkup room. He sat down atop the well kept bed, of which the sheets were no doubt recently changed from the last checkup. Simmons gazed up at the paintings in the room, to someone they would evoke a sense of wonder no doubt, but for him they left a sense of confusion for they made no sense to him. He looked towards the door with his brows furrowed and thought, _I forgot to get that guy's name and number_. He recalled the man's some well kept, and some worn out features, _his eyes seemed the most tired, as if they have seen more than they would have like too. Kind of like me I suppose, like me_. He felt his back slump back against the white wall the bed was by and released a deep, tension filled breath. _I wonder if he is someone similar enough to me that I can talk with, and finally find a place that I can belong in on this planet, in this universe now that I have left Blood Gulch_. His eyes shift to the door as a knock echoes through the wooden barrier. His back quickly straightened as the door slowly swung open and a female nurse entered.

A rather slim women of a pretty blond hair tied back into a pony tail studied the information pad in front of her. Her short heeled shoes stopped midway. Her dark brown eyes looked up with a curiosity that was reflected by the light shining off her eyes from the room lights above. "You're Dick Simmons, aren't you?"

Simmons looked from the admittedly pretty woman to the information pad and wondered, _didn't she just get that from the information in there, why act so surprised then?_ He nodded his head and slowly tilted it in confusion as she hurried her pace over to him. He slowly scooted back into the bed as he felt his heart pressure rise at the sudden shift in her demeanour. _How many people have I met today that have had something to do with me directly? It's crazy_. She stood mere inches away from him and rested the pad down to the table beside the bed. "You grew up in the States here, in Philadelphia to be more precise. Right?"

_Huh, okay that shouldn't be in that pad unless I made it explicitly known on the forms they had asked to fill out before on my first visit ever. This is getting weirder by the second_, he pondered as he slowly nodded his head only to quickly regret that. _Why did you do that? You could have just stayed quiet, you wouldn't be lying that way either_. "Um, is this part of the medical questionnaire?"

"No, I used to live there myself. It was right in the house next to yours in fact," the nurse admitted as she picked the pad back up. However, her lips now arched upward into a more inviting smile. "Nice place as I remember it."

"Okay...," he mumbled, slowly having shifted to his left and away from the woman. The nurse quickly noticed with an amused grin and noted, "You don't believe me, do you?"

"Kind of hard too, miss."

Her thin eyebrows lifted upwards, and her eyes followed their direction to the ceiling as she felt a light go off in her head. "We both went to Philadelphia High. Heh, I can still remember you fumbling and stuttering when you had tried to ask me out to the school dance in our final year."

_Philadelphia High, final year school dance, my date..._, he rested his chin against his hand and not long before the realization dawned on him. _That young girl from before, the one who used to be my best friend_. The nurse reached out with a hand as she understood that he realized something. "Hi, my name is Allie Johnson."

_Allie, yes, that's it_, he studied her from head to toe and a slow smile tugged at his lips. _You have grown to be quite successful it seems like. To think that I would be sitting here as the broken for you to mend, your own childhood friend_. "Yes, I remember now. How have you been?"

"About as well as I can be," she pointed down to her notepad and said, "Considering my line of work and all."

"Yeah, and a lot of other changes continuing to happen right now with the world," he added. "Things are tough for everyone nowadays it seems."

"That it is," she hummed to herself as she went down the additional information on the pad. "What's the exact reason for your visit today?"

"I'm having issues with my appetite."

"Ah, for that the doctor can prescribe you something fast. I will let the next available doctor know and they can write you your prescription. Other than that, are you feeling okay?"

"I...suppose."

"Okay," her once sweet voice lowered with a cautious guard around it. She looked at him with her carefully analytical gaze, studying him from head to toe. _Nothing seems out of the ordinary at first glance. But best to do a simple check up maybe_. "Are you alright with me running a few basic tests here with you?"

Simmons followed her left arm as it reached for a blood pressure reader. "I don't think that's necessary."

"Alright," she quickly picked up the information pad again and sent the information to their information sharing portal. "The next available doctor that gets this information will be able to write up the prescription. You can pick it up from the front desk."

"Thanks," he replied as she reached for the door handle. Before the door swung open however, she turned back to ask him, "Do you want to go for a coffee or something to catch up some time?"

_What's this out of the blue?_ Wondered Simmons as he looked at her curvy form, with her exposed neck and the ever so alluring pale skin. _I still haven't completely forgotten about her, I need to keep myself in control before I become a stuttering moron again in front of her. But should I even go with her? I mean I have never been good with women to begin with...ah what the hell? It's not like I'm doing much with my time anyways, so why hesitate now? Just do it!_ He nodded her way, only for her to reach out with a card she quickly scribbled on. She motioned for him to flip it over and said, "There is my number, feel free to text me any time after five today. Let's make some plans. It was great to see you again, Simmons. I'm glad we could meet."

As the door closed, he quickly slumped back against the wall with his chest relaxing into a gentle breathing. He had felt his chest to be tightened this whole time. _This day went from being a nightmare trip to something I don't even know what to call anymore_. He rested the card atop his lap and safely kept under his palm. His other hand reached to his chest as his heart loudly spoke to him through his skin, and continued to pound him with multiple questions rather than answers. _My feelings for you still linger from the time of the dance. I wonder, just how much did you really mean to me back then that I would actually do something like ask a girl out to a dance_. He put the card into his pocket and left the room. As he waited to pick up his prescription, he noticed that the ex-military man was no longer in the waiting area. He looked towards his pocket and smirked to himself. "Yeah, it's not like I have anything better to do. It can't hurt."

* * *

**A/N: This chapter took much longer to finish. Primarily because I was on vacation and being a lazy bum :P. But now I'm back. Upload schedule will still be erratic. But in other news, I got a beta-reader now to try and improve the end product's quality for the readers!**

**The chapters currently posted will begin to undergo a revision once the beta-reader is caught up to date on all my stories so that they have a better idea about my version of the characters and the RvB world.**

**What did you think about this chapter?**

**Respectful feedback is always welcomed!**

**Catch you all in the next chapter.**

**~ Monty**


	12. Chapter 11: Strength in Conversation

**Chapter 11: Strength in Conversation**

The gravity weighed heavy on Tucker's feet as they hung off the bedside like loose apples on a tree. The metal glare reflected in his clouded eyes as his dark toned fingers gently rubbed the engravings. He half-closed his eyes at the prospect of having felt the name underneath his fingers on the dog tag. Tucker bit his lower lip as the name revealed itself and the memories patiently waited by his side. He spoke in a whisper, "Mike..."

His gaze shifted up to what he could only imagine to be a clear day, brimming with heat and their only saving grace were the cooling units in their armours. Tucker walked amidst a mass grave of ash and the crimson. Back on the war torn planet, Tucker looked at the various destroyed buildings that once served as a place of settlement for several of his fellow humans. People who had lives, happiness, sadness and hope, until it was stripped away by the religious fanatics, the extremist Sangheilis. Tucker gently rested his hand against a jagged, rough metal part of what he could have only imagined to be once a panel for a building. He felt the heat of the smoke, slowly flying up into the sky, not helping his annoyance at the weather. Behind him followed closely an ODST soldier, Mike. He bent down to feel his left hand sink into the grainy grey sand, dust and ash, mixed and littered about all throughout this ghost settlement. Mike kicked the panel off to his side as he knew that something arose, something sharp, glaring and begging to scream. He felt a fury from the deepest wells of his heart. "This is the reason those bastards should be all wiped away."

"Can I ask you something?" Questioned the aqua simulation trooper as the words of the ODST caught his attention. Mike glared in Tucker's general direction and asked, "What?"

"Why do you hate my kid so much when you have never met him, why do you hate the Sangheilis so much?"

The ODST looked away from the blue soldier and towards the charred trees. He slowly made his way to the scarred one and gently rested a hand atop the blackened spots. From the simple contact, the outer wood of the tree peeled away. Mike took a deep breath as he gazed in Tucker's general direction, and said, "My brother...he was drafted just like me. He died fighting, or more like he was killed in action. He died protecting me, and the damned Sangheilis just went home, left me to mourn the corpse of my dead brother."

...Tucker closed shut his eyes as the memories overstayed their welcome. _That was the first time you really ever opened up to me. That was the first time I felt that there was more to you than just your childish antagonizing, that something meaningful could grow between you and all of us_. Tucker laid the dog tag to the bedside table as he breathed out a heavy sigh. He stood up with a quick stretch. His long, satisfied groan stirred awake his two companions. "Guys, stop making so much noise in the morning."

"Psh, man up dude," Church beamed in response. Tucker reached for his gear as he quickly suited himself after the morning pleasantries. Sigma burst out from the storage unit into a ball of explosion, and from the fire appeared the fragment. "Tucker, don't forget what you discussed with Junior, and the things you learned there."

"I'm going for my morning practice," Tucker waved back for them to quieten down. "I need time alone while I'm training, so don't go around making too much noise in my head."

_Keeping things to yourself again?_ Church wondered with a sigh, as his vision shifted towards the dog tags. "Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of bed today."

* * *

In the main area of the base, Tucker entered only to be met by the dumbfounded gaze of the dark blue soldier. Caboose stood upright, still like a statue and his visor was fixated all in the direction of the wall in front of him. Tucker shifted his view from the soldier to the wall, back and forth. He slowly shifted his way into Caboose's view and asked, "Caboose, why are you staring at the wall like that?"

Quickly Tucker arose a finger as he triumphantly claimed, "Have you finally killed off the last two brain cells you had left?"

"Tucker!" Caboose excitedly exclaimed, with a complete disregard for the words the aqua one slurred in his direction. Delta quickly materialized beside his host and greeted Tucker with equal enthusiasm. "I am helping Caboose with improving his concentration."

"Oh yeah?" Tucker's ears perked up at the thoughtfulness of Delta. "How's that going?"

Delta took a moment to himself as he thoughtfully lowered his gaze at the floor. He slowly began with a most monotone voice. "I can say with satisfaction that we have managed to avoid all the worse outcomes so far I had imagined from doing this exercise."

"That is great," Caboose mumbled off to the side. Tucker raised an eyebrow at the child within a man's body and then back down to Delta. "Yeah, I'm sure you were able to get very imaginative with those outcomes. I mean, with Caboose, this type of shit is easy."

"Precisely so," Delta replied as Tucker turned to leave. What should have been only one pair of feet were instead two. Tucker eyed Caboose who followed rather closely behind. "Why are you following me, Caboose?"

"I want to keep you company!"

"No homo dude," Tucker quickly replied as he hurried his pace. Delta looked back to the wall, and the distance grew, he felt the fruits of his effort rot and whither away. "You no longer want to continue our concentration practice Caboose?"

"Nah," Caboose answered his green companion as he hopped his way out of the base. "Bored now, I want to go to morning exercises with Tucker instead."

"Hey Delta," Tucker motioned for the green one's attention. "That training of yours certainly is doing a fine job."

"That type of sarcasm is entirely unnecessary, Tucker," Delta quipped back as he quickly logged off. The two of them left the base through the main door and found Marcus and Cholo already doing their stretches. Tucker rubbed his hands together as he too began his stretches. "I'm glad to see that you guys haven't slacked off on the morning routine while I was gone."

Cholo's eyes lit up like a bright star in the night sky as his nose flared with steam in the direction of Red base. His thumb held up high with an exceeding amount of enthusiasm, that was enough to make up for a lack of one from a whole ten man platoon. "Of course I would be, especially when there is a chance of me getting such a...pretty view every morning...of the sky, the sky of course."

Marcus to his side chuckled beneath the helmet as he got up from his push-ups. He stretched his shoulders back and forth and with a grunt, he said, "I can't wait to see what the outcome will be today of your morning excursions."

With a light jog, Tucker began to lead the pack. "We will do five laps around the canyon, that should be good for a morning workout."

"Ugh, five, really?!" Cholo nearly face planted at the number. "You know, we only bothered doing one if we were lucky while you were gone."

"One?!" Tucker felt his heart jump in his chest as he glared back at Marcus and Cholo. "How the hell did you guys get so lazy, did Grif's laziness rub off on you guys?"

"Hey-Chika-Bum-Bum!" Caboose screamed as he passed Tucker, leaving the aqua one to only shout behind him. "Caboose, stop trying to steal my thing, especially when you do it so poorly!"

Tucker then quickly looked back to the two behind him and asked, "So seriously, how did you guys get just as lazy as Grif, have you been talking to him?"

"Hard to talk with someone who hardly comes out of his room," commented Marcus as he noticed Caboose pass them by yet again. _Damn, his abnormal superhuman speed never ceases to amaze me_. Cholo agreed with Marcus' statement. "There is no way someone who we barely see now can rub off on us."

Caboose caught up yet again and slowed down beside Tucker. Just from watching the dark blue soldier, they felt their legs weaken with fatigue. Caboose looked in the direction of Red base and lowered his voice into a softer tone, as he said, "I want Grif to get better soon. That way, we can all eat chips and drink soda again like we used to!"

* * *

The Blues jogged past one of the windows of the Red base and Marcus noticed Cholo quickly fall behind. Tucker too was observant as he stopped to see the live show unfold. The Mexican man slowly and stealthily inched closer to the steamy windows. The fog only continued to build as a strong stream of water hit the ceramic floor tiles like heavy rain in a thunderstorm. Cholo gently rested his fingers against the edge of the sill with his pulse slowly ascending through every breath taken. He brought himself even closer and a with every motion, a blush gently wrapped his cheeks in a coat of red. His helmet touched the window and his eyes begged to break out of the confines of the helmet, and through the window. _Come on, let me see it please_. As the water continued its heavy trail down, he saw an outline form within the steam. His chest tightened at the well toned muscles and abs on the figure. _Oh my, you can grind meat on those abs_. The thigh that slowly revealed its wonderfully shaped muscle tones sent his heart aflutter. With the blood now following the pull of the gravity, his excitement peaked and his hands rubbed together into a simple wish. _Show it to me, show me dat ass_. As the steam further cleared, a chest puffed out and to the surprise of the Mexican man, it stood out as different. _It seems off, like its too flat_. His eyes trailed down nonetheless with an ever growing sense of hope. That hope however quickly dissipated.

Tucker and the rest watched his form shrink tinier with the passage of time. His fingers flexed back and his spine sent several chills down his body. His whole self shook with denial. Tucker leaned close and with a whisper he asked, "What's up dude? You are acting like you saw a ghost."

"It was no ghost that I saw ," Cholo started as he slapped the sides of his visor. "But something worse, something which can never be unseen."

"Huh?" Tucker slowly began a turn towards the window. "Oh come on, it can't be that bad."

But he was quickly stopped by Cholo in his tracks as he found the Mexican man violently shaking his head. "You don't want to make the same mistake as me Tucker. While the steam coated figure may look attractive, there is actually a dangerous secret. For in between the legs of the sexy, attractive figure I saw it, I saw a member. I can never un-see it now, I'm doomed with this visage for the rest of my life!"

"You saw a dude's dick, so what?" asked Tucker as he smirked at the overreaction, yet cute nonetheless. "It's not exactly uncommon to be open like this dude. It's not the middle ages anymore where you would be fucking castrated for being gay."

Tucker's eyes then lit up like a base on high alert. He leaned in close and whispered, "Did you manage to see who it was, it wasn't the orange one was it?"

"What does it matter?" asked Cholo as he pulled back from Tucker with his visor now completely covered. "I'm forever scarred."

"Just curious if it was someone orange," Tucker shook his shoulders with a growing smile underneath. "That would be an interesting image to be haunted by I'm sure."

"No, it wasn't Grif," Cholo quickly corrected, and his voice slowly began to die down upon the mention of the peep show model. "It was, Johnny."

"Oh great," Tucker helped Cholo up and quickly got him back into the group. "Now I will be stuck with the image of a naked Johnny in my head. Thanks for that, asshole."

"Sharing is caring!" Cholo shouted in return as he felt his eyes water. "Oh god, the very prospect of finding out that I can maybe swing both ways makes me want to cry!"

"Then we best keep on moving I suppose," Tucker ordered for the group as they now left the vicinity of the Red base, and back to their own. "I think I want to drown myself in booze when we get back to forget that this shit ever happened."

* * *

Inside Red base, Daisy and Bonnie had watched the whole scene unfold. The hallways heard their loud laughter bounce from wall to wall, and their lungs ran dry. Daisy gently released her helmet from the restraints on her head and wiped a small tear from her eye. "That should show those boys to keep on walking in the future!"

"Well, they might try again to be honest with you," Bonnie replied with her comment aimed particularly at Cholo. "They don't know when to give up."

"Heh, then we could just play this trick on them again, time and time again," Daisy confirmed. "I'm sure that they are going to fall for it every time."

"Agreed," Bonnie rubbed her chin piece in great curiosity. "I would love to study the effects of just how much trauma our local pervert can actually take."

* * *

Five laps later, Tucker watched both Marcus and Cholo slowly drag themselves to the finish. Lungs emptied and eyes desperate with victory in sight, the two slowly pulled forward, on the verge of passing out. Tucker stood upright as he felt a relaxing stretch echo from his back. The two finally made it to the finish under the watchful, disappointed gaze. Tucker slowly shook his head with his arms crossed in annoyance. "How is it that you guys could lose all that stamina while I wasn't here?"

"That's easy," Cholo whispered for his voice nearly left him. "A daily diet of standing around, eating like junk food kings and waiting for our inevitable end."

"That's dark," Caboose stated as his eyes trailed from one blue pattern to another in the sky. Church appeared to the rest and gently nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, I gotta say, too dark."

"You guys need to aspire to be more like Caboose," Tucker pointed to the fine sculpture of a human in their prime. "Even after five laps, he looks like he can go for another five."

"With all due respect," Marcus slowly picked himself up as he leaned against his knees for support. "That's because Caboose has inhumane metabolism. In fact, I would love to dissect him and find out the reason behind that."

As if a danger alarm triggered in Caboose's head, he hid fast behind Tucker. The aqua soldier gently bumped his fist against Marcus's helmet and said, "Such thoughts are forbidden here. Keep yourself on the pill man!"

A small stretch of silence grew to cover the vast space they took with their mere presence. Tucker raised an eyebrow from individual to individual. _Huh, did I say something weird?_ He pondered as Sigma quickly caught onto the blue one's motions, and voiced his thoughts, _Wait for it, I believe you will find out soon enough_.

" Hey-Chika-Bum-Bum," Caboose exclaimed with much vigour, enough to fill the entire canyon with his proud proclamation. Tucker felt a vein pop on his forehead, And_ there it is, Ugh, not again!_ He turned with the shift in his body weight and motioned in Caboose's general direction. "Dammit Caboose, how many times have I told you to not harsh my groove like this? Stop stealing my thing dude!"

"But everyone was expecting it," Caboose argued as Cholo and Marcus nodded in agreement. "I was only doing it for the audience."

"Leave the sex jokes to me," Tucker stomped his foot onto the hard rock with enough force to send unpleasant shivers up his knee. "You are not old enough!"

"And to me as well," Cholo interjected, yet he felt his presence suddenly shrink from the mere judgemental glare that originated from Tucker's direction. The aqua one could not help but let himself go with a loud laughter and said, "You haven't earned the skill level required yet to tell those types of jokes. Just stick to receiving the crotch trauma."

"Says the guy who has only ever seemed to fuck an alien," Marcus snickered with a grin most wide, that any sane human may mistake his smile for that of a strange creature in human skin. Tucker leaned in close with instant curiosity as he rested one hand by his earpiece. "What was that Marcus, you want to give me your lunch portions? Why, how generous of you, much appreciated!"

Tucker stood back up as he felt his stomach rumble. "In fact, I think I will help myself starting now being the primary key holder to the base and what not."

"No, my food!" Marcus quickly found himself on all fours, and his head hit hard against the ground. "Show me your mercy, it must be my symptoms acting up again. You know what, I will take your advice of taking that pill now!"

Church took notice of the satisfied grin on Tucker's face. "Don't go getting on a high horse now."

* * *

Cholo felt his body loosen as it could no longer hold together. His back hit hard against the ground and he finally passed out like a dog dying under the heat. Tucker stretched his back from one side to the next and Caboose's eyes quickly jolted up with excitement. Caboose took up his sword to the notice of Tucker. "I can't wait to play space sword warrior again!"

But he was quickly dissuaded as by Tucker's words. "Slow down Caboose, we aren't using real swords. Quit trying to change the rules!"

Tucker pointed to inside the base and motioned for him to retrieve their wooden practice swords. Tucker continued his stretches as the blue soldier was out of his sight. He looked back from one side, and then from the other. With every number achieved in his motions, he felt a weight grow from his back. A man free of physical restraints, yet one bound by past chains. A blurb arose, slowly, slowly, slowly it became clearer. Like fireworks in the sky, the explosions neared and his back weighed even heavier. The grains of sand covered his knees and elbows. His visor shined with the fire that arose from his left to his right, with a thick smoke that was born from the craters. The ashes that blew with the wind as the plasma rained down from high above their heads. The ODST, Mike, stood helplessly to watch his life flash, and in the blink of an eye, he disintegrated into nameless ash. Tucker lowered his head towards the dried grass. He stretched his arms one final time before his frown got the best of him and his head weighed heavy. Caboose came rushing back out with the wooden swords in hand and threw one in Tucker's direction. With his well trained senses, Tucker caught it and swung it from left to right. He held up the sword in Caboose's direction and Caboose did the same. Delta materialized in front of his host and beamed his stare in Tucker's direction. "Would you like to fight Caboose in his angry mode?"

_Would I like to?_ Tucker pondered for a moment. "Meh, let's do it for the shits and giggles."

"Oowwwaaahhhh! My name is Caboose, and I'm here to wreck your world!" Caboose shouted in a fury as he charged forward with heavy footsteps. The very ground beneath his feet shook and cracked. The sword hung high with his arm to his side and Tucker quickly rolled to his side with his balance lost and a quick scrambled to gain distance. "Jeez Delta, cool it a little will you?"

Caboose swung the sword down hard, and a loud clack echoed throughout the canyon, to be heard by all. Tucker barely held his own against the force for his knees weakened. He quickly recovered however with the help of Sigma, who enabled his jets and allowed a fast tackle. Yet the effort was for naught. While Tucker was the beast charging forward, Caboose was the wall that stood strong, made of metal. Like an object traveling towards an immovable wall, Tucker slammed hard and was quickly flung up into the air. _Shit_, Tucker cursed as he landed on his butt. He quickly got up and felt the after effects of that throw. His legs shook with every step he took forward. Caboose swung once again, and put Tucker on the defense. Blow after blow, the aqua soldier was getting pushed back. Tucker finally saw an opening as Caboose pushed down with both his hands clamping tightly onto the sword. He promptly raised his knee and kneed Caboose in the stomach.

"How do you like that?!" Tucker smirked beneath the helmet as he caught his breath. He kneecap ached from that one single blow, and felt the pressure build up in the area as if it would blow off any moment. _Damn, what the hell kind of material is he made of?_ Tucker stood strong. He strengthened his pose and composed his grip onto the sword. Caboose quickly recovered and looked up with an intense stare towards his target. Tucker didn't need Delta to tell him exactly what was going through Caboose's mind right now, or his anger levels. He could see the very rage radiate from his visor. _Oh shit_, quickly Tucker called upon his two companion fragments and asked, "Um, Church, Sigs, a little help?"

"Don't come whining to us," Church looked at his host with a most dismissive shake of his head. "You are the one who asked for this, deal with it."

"Unfortunately," Sigma chimed in as he studied the dark blue beast that stood only a few meters away. "We have no way of dealing with this as Caboose has become quite the literal super soldier."

"Oh great, thanks," Tucker remarked as he jumped out of the way at the very last second from a ground shattering swing of the wooden sword. "You two are a whole lot of help, I don't know what I would do without you lot."

"Wow, the sarcasm is so subtle," Church snickered with a laugh. Cholo slowly came too as his body stirred awake. Beside him he saw a red lawn chair, and his friend, Marcus, as its occupant. Cholo slowly stood himself up with the help of the arm rest from the chair. "Ugh, how long was I out?"

"A while," Marcus motioned towards the two combatants and said, "Free entertainment."

Cholo saw a beer in Marcus' one hand and took the initiative to join in. Cholo cracked open the liquid to meet the hot stare of the sun. He undid his helmet and quickly took a chug. "Ah, that hit the spot!"

Marcus held up a bowl of popcorn for his friend, who without hesitation took a handful. "Custom seasoning?"

"Yup," Marcus answered as he held one up, somewhat yellow in colour. "I made that seasoning you were talking about before that your cousin used to make."

"Oh, Mexican seasoning," Cholo replied quickly chewing down the handful. "Me like!"

Cholo took another hard swig of the drink as he nearly fell backwards from the simple motion. "God, that hit the much needed spot."

"Setup that chair," Marcus pointed to a folding chair beside him, on the ground. Cholo quickly set it up and he felt his butt plop down hard against the bottom. A blissful smile escaped his mouth for his body felt like it floated on a sea of clouds. Tucker dodged another sharp swing from his adversary, however he was quick to take notice of his surroundings, in particular his audience. "Oh god, help you bastards!"

"Hmm, I'm not so sure if I can," Marcus moaned as he tried to hold up his arms. A few heavy grunts escaped him and said, "My muscles still ache from those laps."

"Yeah," Cholo held up the backside of his right hand against his forehead, and slowly he rested it back against the chair. "I think I'm beginning to feel a little faint again."

_Great, why did I even bother asking?_ Tucker wondered as his sword was quickly deflected by Caboose. The dark blue soldier followed up with a strong jab into Tucker's ribs. He jumped back at the sharp, sudden sensation that pierced his body. He held his side and noticed the beer amidst the audience. "Well the least you can do then is save me one of those bottles, you drunks!"

"Sure, only if you survive that is," Marcus stated with a huge grin, covered by the can. Tucker's eyebrow raised with suspicion as he stomped his foot hard against the ground and said, "Of course I'm going to survive. If I don't, what the hell would the team even do without me? I haven't appointed a successor yet."

"Don't worry about that," Marcus replied as he motioned towards the dark blue one. "You have bigger concerns right now."

Caboose delivered yet another arm crunching blow. Tucker's knees lost their gripping as the lock came undone and he fell down hard to the ground. "Ow, tone it down will you Delta? This is getting asinine now."

"You asked for this."

"Okay, don't you start with that kind of talk around here as well," Tucker replied as he then eyed Marcus to his side and asked, "So, what did you mean by not worrying about a successor, what are you planning?"

"Nothing major," Marcus answered as he finished his can. He gently rubbed his belly and already felt the effects kick in. "I just took the opportunity to smooth talk command into naming me the successor to this team next."

"What?!" Tucker just barely avoided yet another swing and asked, "Why the hell would they even agree? In fact, when did this shit even happen?"

"During your vacation," Marcus gently raised a finger with a clear voice and noted. "As my first decree for Blue team being its new ruler, I would like to make every Friday night a Blood party night. A party in which only a select few can have fun."

Tucker quickly kicked Caboose a few steps back as he quickly gained distance. "Like that would ever happen."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so worried," Marcus hummed out in a most reassured tone. "I already have every detail for my eventual succession planned out."

"Wh- What is that supposed to mean?"

"Don't worry about it," Marcus quickly turned his head away in the Caboose's direction. Cholo smirked with a wide grin and said, "That was real smooth there, Marcus."

"Want to know what else would be cool?" Marcus asked in a quick instant as he leaned in too close for comfort towards the Mexican. "Me chomping away at your precious burritos, because I know how you love them so. Man, I can even feel my mouth water from just thinking about them."

"You make a very good point," Cholo shifted back into his chair as his body shriveled up into a ball. "Great job, keep it up."

* * *

An hour later, Tucker felt his legs shake wildly from the pain in his nerves. He just barely dodged a yet another deadly swing from his formidable opponent. Unable to now stand, Tucker found himself on all four limbs against the hard rocky surface, that cracked under this very heat. He looked up at Caboose who still had enough strength and energy to be jumping from side to side in excitement. "Seriously dude, where do you get all this energy from to keep on going?"

"There are a great many things that Caboose is capable of," Delta spoke as he appeared besides Tucker. "Even if it may not seem as such at first glance."

Tucker slowly stood back up with multiple grunts leave his mouth. He did his best to control the shaking, however he was no longer the master of his body. The pain now ruled over him as the undisputed king. He conceded to Delta's point rather fast and said, "I can see that. That, and how the lady Dumb Luck seems to favour him every time."

In the seconds that passed, his fingers lost all control as his grip loosened on the sword. It fell against the ground with a loud impact and Tucker felt his whole body loosen like the lightness he would feel when floating atop water. His back fell down and a silent curse escaped his mouth upon making an intimate touch with the ground. "That's it, game over. I give in, you win Caboose."

"I won?" Caboose spoke up and instantly felt his confidence levels boost. "I mean, yay, I won! I'm the best!"

He jumped from one spot to another as a high of ecstasy showered above his head. But not before coming to a halt with a most confused glance at his opponent. "So, not like I forgot or anything, but asking for a friend...what is it that I won in exactly?"

_Right, of course_, Tucker felt his lungs rejuvenate from the cooled down air his helmet provided. _Even in victory he is still pretty dumb_. Tucker slowly collected himself with every ounce of energy that was left in his very fiber of being. He began to walk back to the cooler recesses of Blue base before being quickly stopped by the two subordinates. Marcus and Cholo gazed at one another, and then to their leader. "So, what should we be doing?"

"Just do whatever it is you guys normally do during the day," Tucker waved back as he leaned against the base for support. "I'm going to go get a cold pack and lie down for a bit. Don't bug me."

* * *

A few minutes passed with Tucker now resting quite comfortably in the recesses of his own room. Caboose stood at the opposite end of the canyon from Blue base as he gloated of his victory to the women of the canyon. Daisy clapped her hands and a strong enthusiastic vibe escaped her from the tone of her voice. "Great job, Caboose!"

Bonnie simply shook her head on one side as she heard the giddy, child-like laughter escape the dark blue's mouthpiece. _How does he ever manage to operate in a functional state everyday like this?_ She pondered, but was quickly reminded on her own to not ask questions to the greatest mysteries of life and the universe, lest she wish to seek a path of continuous frustration. Sheila stepped forward closer to her blue comrade, with her big body gently sitting down, she looked around and agreed with Daisy. "But remember to keep on trying even harder for the next time Caboose, and you will eventually become the best with that sword!"

"Eh heh, heh," Caboose rubbed the back of his helmet as he felt his chest afloat from the encouragement. "You guys are awesome. I'm going to give you all a big hug before bedtime tonight!"

"By the way," Bonnie turned her attention towards the two atop Blue base and asked, "Where is Tucker? I don't see him outside anywhere, he hasn't switched into Grif mode has he?"

"Oh Tucker," Caboose grinned as his victory rushed back to him. "He is resting inside Blue base. He said something about sleeping off the bad touch."

Bonnie took a step back as her eyes raised with question. She turned to the giant mantis bot and asked, "Sheila, a translation please?"

"It was Caboose's overwhelming strength that caused some minor damage to Tucker's back muscles, hence he is resting."

"Thank you," Bonnie replied. "Sometimes I'm really glad you are normally tagging along with him. But why would you even consider that a bad touch, Caboose?"

"Oh, um...well," Caboose shifted back and forth in his spot as he quickly placed his hands over his pouches. "Um, you see, keep it a secret but I may have accidentally, not intentionally, taken some money from him during the sparring session."

Like a call to the wild Mexican of the bunch, Cholo released a very bemused scream. "I knew it, I was right that you had some way of getting all that money and why we were always broke!"

"You must have misheard me," Caboose let his hands rest behind his back as his fingers ferociously played with one another. _A typical nervous reaction_, thought Bonnie with a smirk. She turned towards Cholo and felt rather impressed. _His hearing is very good_. Cholo thought for a moment as the snap of his fingers finally clicked things into place. "So all that debt I owe you is a bunch of BS. Caboose, you smart weasel!"

"Oh what is this?" Caboose pondered as he slowly backed up. "I feel excited, yes, excited! And so, I'm going to run around the canyon now, come on Sheila!"

Marcus watched Caboose run around to the back of Red base and his light pockets did not help to ease the sharp rise he felt in his veins. "Cholo, I'm going to kill him in his sleep."

"Or we can just nick back that money," Cholo suggested. "You know, instead of committing man slaughter on a man-child."

A loud sigh filled the air as Marcus' shoulders dropped low and he said, "Fine, we will do it the boring way."

Cholo took out a bottle of beer from the crate in between the two and twisted it open. To his surprise, they were still cool enough. "When did Caboose get so smart about these things?"

"I thought he always was just smart about money," Marcus said as he reached for a drink himself. "At least, that's the way it seemed to me."

Cholo felt the drink go down the wrong hole as he held his chest tightly. As wrong as the path it took down, it came out of his nose like water dripping out from a leak. "Yeaaahhhh rrrriiiiiggggghhhht!"

Cholo quickly cleaned himself off as he then took another sip once his body had calmed. "I bet that it was probably Delta's idea. That little scamp has always seemed devious. I knew it the day I laid my eyes on him."

Cholo took a look at the crate as he finished his bottle. A loud sigh escaped him as he gazed upon the one lone leftover bottle, and the dilemma became real. To take, or not to take, that was the question running around like a wild, happy dog in his mind.

* * *

Bonnie gazed up to the two figures atop the rooftop of Blue base, that got bigger with every step forward. Cholo took notice of the approaching Red and in a quick bout of surprise, he nearly fell off the roof, only to be rescued by his partner. Cholo quickly holstered his gun and brushed off his armour, and he then jumped down to come face to face with their guest. "This must be my lucky day. It is so nice of you to come visit us willingly my dear Bonnie. Have you finally perhaps realized my charm?"

As he boasted with his head high up in the clouds, one could even say, higher than that. Cholo felt the very stars align above his head. "Perhaps you would like for me to show you my room, we can do some _fun_ adult stuff there."

"Hah, with you?" Bonnie laughed with her one arm resting against one side to her hip, and the other holding her other side. "Not in a million years with a nervous, sorry excuse for a playboy like you."

"Oh, you just got roasted," Marcus laughed much to the dismay of his Mexican teammate. Cholo could do nothing but take the arrows from all sides as he quietly mumbled. "Shut up!"

"Where is Tucker?" asked Bonnie. A dejected Cholo pointed inside as his form grew smaller with every second. "He is in his room, lying down."

"Great, I'm inviting myself in," Bonnie walked past him. Marcus asked from behind her. "Hold on, you can't just go around walking in our base like that. What did you need Tucker for?"

"I need to talk to him about something very important."

"You could talk about it with me," Cholo mumbled as his voice grew weak. Bonnie once again laughed as her chest puffed out with great pride. "Um, I need to talk to someone with authority around here, and someone with balls."

"I have balls."

She quickly turned her head away at the mere thought of him having any. Her lips struggled to keep her mouth closed for a strong force ached to burst out. With a quieter voice, she noted to herself, "Maybe I should have worded that better."

Bonnie turned back to Cholo and said, "I need someone with common sense."

"Hah, as if there would be anyone with that around here," Cholo slapped his knee in a loud laughter. However, his words were not deaf to him for he realized his own statement. Bonnie took the silence as a means to escape this situation, but not before telling Cholo one last thing, "You need to work on your 'manly' act, boy."

_Boy...boy? Boy?!_ Cholo's hands clung to his chest as if drawn by some magnet. Silent tears were wept for he found himself behind Tucker's old alone time rock. "How can she be so mean, does she not know that those words are like a wasp's sting to a man's heart?"

"As blunt as she is," said Marcus who bent behind him. "She got you good there, you gotta admit to that much."

* * *

Bonnie approached the pristine kept hallways. To her surprise, they were cleaner than she had originally thought of them to be. Partly to her shame as well, some areas seemed far cleaner than Red base. She approached Tucker's room, clearly identified by the name plate held up onto the door by two large screws. The door rested with an open crack into the world behind it. The aqua warrior sat atop his bed with the metal shine glare off the surface. Tucker gently rubbed his fingers on the engravings within the tags, held firmly in place only with a key chain wrapped around his hand. Bonnie slowly opened the door with a creak. With a fast reaction, Tucker stood up to take note of the new variable into his environment. He sat back down just as quick as he had gotten up with a small grunt. He rested the dog tags to his side, still tightly held in his hand. The closer she got, the more he tensed. He looked towards her and said, "It's nice of you to visit me here finally. Don't worry baby, I can show you a real good time."

"Ugh," Bonnie's eyes shifted to her side as she felt the un-welcomed chill travel up her body. _I forgot while he was away that the biggest pervert in this canyon is him_. Quickly having desired a change of subject, she pointed to the dog tags and asked, "Who do those belong to?"

_Hmm, not going to leave so easily, are you?_ Tucker tucked away the dog tags into his back pocket. "No one you need to know about."

Bonnie's interest immediately peaked as her eyebrows raised in a bout of curiosity. Her hands clasped together behind her back and she straightened herself out. With an authoritative stride, she walked over and leaned closer to him. Her lips tug up from her right, as her voice echoed the sentiment that she could not be so easily fooled. "You do realize that I was a psychologist before jumping ship and joining the army, right?"

"A psychologist, and on Earth?" Tucker inquired as he recalled her background. "Your wallet must have cried for ages. Not much use for you guys over there nowadays I hear."

"I made enough to put away into savings," Bonnie replied with a stone-cold expression. "But forgetting that, how have you been holding up?"

"I have seen better days," he answered with the grit of his teeth. "Especially on days where I don't get my ass whooped."

"Yes, I heard all about it from Caboose, it was hilarious," Bonnie chuckled to herself as she cleared her throat to speak once again. "Easy to tell from how stiff your body seems right now. But you seem better than you were when I first came here."

"No duh, A lot of time has passed," he chimed in. _Especially the time I spent in thinking and improving myself_. He raised his eyes to meet hers at the visor level and asked, "What are you really here for, Bonnie?"

"Considering how you have gotten a tad more positive lately, do you think you can rub off some of those vibes onto Grif?"

"He hasn't shown any progress at all?"

Bonnie sighed with immediate frustration. And that was answer enough for him. Bonnie held her head high up towards the roof and grunted in near silence. "It is becoming more and more difficult to deal with him. He isn't even able to fulfill the basic duties of his position, let alone take care of himself. I can't put up with th-"

Tucker quickly stopped her with a firm grip on her shoulder. Underneath the helmet, he could not help but let out a wide smile vibrate from his lips. "If you are asking for advice, maybe I'm not the best person to ask since I have some shit to work out myself."

Her shoulders dropped, ever so slowly with her morale trickling out bit by bit. With a quick turn, she reached for the door, but found herself stopped at the mention of her name. Back towards Tucker, he gazed in her direction with a strong intent and asked, "What do you think about guilt?"

"In what context?"

"The guilt for surviving."

"This is related to your PTSD, isn't it?" she inquired, and earned his nod. "There is nothing wrong with feeling guilt. It's normal to do so when you think you did something bad. It's only human after all."

"Something bad?" Tucker asked as his eyes slowly widened with even more questions abound. "I wonder if I did something bad?"

He felt a firm grip on his shoulders and violently shook him out of this line of thinking. "Tucker, based on what we have heard about your involvement in the war, it doesn't seem like you have done anything wrong. You were all fighting to survive, living to see another day. You all fought to continue living another day for the sake of one another as a family. But unfortunately, your circumstances did not agree with your sentiments."

"While you are right to say those things," Tucker lowered his gaze towards his back pocket. "It doesn't help resolve my pain. In fact, it feels as if it continues to fester and grow. No matter how much of a pep talk people give me, it feels like the pain comes in and pushes out any positive progress I make. Junior especially tried his hardest, he most certainly did."

"Tucker, listen to me carefully. I haven't experienced PTSD, but I have seen what can become of people suffering from it. I know that this is what you have been hearing, but it's the best any of us can tell you. Remain positive, and continue to fight for self-improvement. Excuse me."

* * *

Outside, Bonnie exited Blue base with home in sight. Cholo watched the cold-hearted, yet ever so picturesque figure walk away. He shook the bottle in one hand, it was completely dry. He eyed the last one in the crate. Cholo nodded in silence towards his friend, Marcus and said, "I'm impressed that you managed to maintain your self-control and not take the last bottle."

"We promised didn't we?" Marcus looked down towards the inside of the base. "We would save him the last bottle. Anyways, I'm more impressed that you didn't get your fingers all over it."

"Oh, you just didn't notice, the struggle was real," Cholo mused as he picked up the bottle and headed inside. Indoors, he gently knocked on Tucker's door. "Special delivery, boss."

Tucker noticed the beer in Cholo's hand and smirked with a most appreciative nod. Tucker cracked open the bottle with the raw power of his palm and took off his helmet to his side. He took a small sip and quickly felt something amiss. His eyebrow instinctively raised into the air and asked, "Was this kept outside all day long?"

"Maybe," Cholo replied with several hesitant nods. Just as quickly he saw a flash of aqua, he found himself into a tight lock in Tucker's arm, that wrapped around Cholo's neck. "Sorry, I give, I give!"

"This is for making such a rookie mistake!" Tucker bumped Cholo's head against his fist. "You never feed a man beer that's been sitting out in the heat!"

"Take it easy on the bastard," Church quickly intervened. "It's not his fault that the sun is always out in this canyon, and that we hardly get any clouds here."

"That sounds like a weak ass excuse, even for you Church," Tucker replied as he gave Cholo yet another bump on the head. Church nodded his head with his shoulders slowly slumped. He turned towards the Mexican soldier and whispered, "I tried man, good luck."

As Tucker released Cholo from his grip, he quickly blocked his route out, gently locking them both in. Cholo found his feet scurry backwards with a large gulp. His face cracked under pressure from every direction as a weak smile grew from corner to corner. "I didn't know you swung that way."

"If you would like," Tucker felt a nerve pop out. "I can give you a first hand experience."

As quick as the wit came to Cholo, he found it abandon him completely. A single puppy squeal left him, most confused and terrified. Tucker inched closer, and Cholo had nowhere else to run for his back was already stuck up against the wall. Cholo tightly closed his eyes all the while the aqua form grew larger and larger, much larger than his own. As if Tucker's hands grew enormous, Cholo's form retracted into a much tinier being. He felt a strong grip rest on his shoulders and opened to find the aqua one lead him to sit down. "Relax, sit back and let your CO take care of _everything_."

"Okay, too homo for me!" Cholo reacted as he slapped Tucker's hand away and made way for the door, only to be stopped by Tucker who now burst out into a loud laughter. With the free hand, he took his beer and sipped down a few gulps. _Meh, you get used to it I guess. After all, it's still beer_. "Loosen up dude, it's not the 1970's or something. And I was just kidding."

As soon as Tucker felt Cholo relax, he quickly added, "Or was I?"

The tension returned into Cholo's body much to the amusement of Tucker. The aqua soldier walked over to the door and unlocked it. "I'm really just kidding, relax."

As Cholo stood up to leave, Tucker asked, "One question for you. It will sound strange, but have you ever had the thought that you didn't belong somewhere?"

"Belong somewhere...what brought on this question?" asked Cholo. _This was a little too sudden for Tucker to ask something like that_. Rather than answer Cholo's question, Tucker waited for an answer to his own. Cholo knew that this silence won't get them anywhere and hence said, "I felt like that almost all the time back in my home town after a certain point in my life."

"Care to explain?" Tucker inquired with a hearty chug of the beer. "I don't think you have ever talked about this before."

Cholo looked at the bottle rest at Tucker's thigh level and slowly said, "It was before I jumped ship to join the army. I was treated as an outcast sometimes and I didn't really feel like I was wanted, or rather that I belonged in that crowd, even if it was amongst my own people. Simple as that."

"So then," Tucker rested his chin against his free hand in thought and asked, "How did you come to accept that fact and improve your status?"

"I guess my cure was just in talking to people," Cholo held his head in his hand as they supported him from the back. "No one is perfect, but for me, talking to others is a great remedy. Plus, I have met some very interesting people in this canyon by doing that."

"Talking to people...," Tucker repeated with his eyes sinking deeper into the recesses of his mind. He gently laughed to himself and took the last drop of beer from the bottle. _Junior was always saying that talking will help. I guess I finally now know what I need to do to overcome this shitty burden_. Church appeared to his side as he crossed his arms in a matter-of-fact manner. Tucker knew what was to come next, but he was ready to accept it gracefully. "See, I have been telling you this all this time. If only you had listened, you would have known this ages ago."

"Yeah, yeah, you were right, I was wrong. Feel good about yourself?"

"Well, as a matter of fact, I do," Church leaned forward with his arms crossed proudly. "Thank you for asking."

Cholo looked back and forth as he could only imagine question marks pop up and populate all the free space around him. Tucker turned back to his subordinate with a thankful smile and said, "I figured something out. We should talk more often about these sorts of things, Cholo."

"Should we?"

"Yes, we should," Tucker replied with a far more resolute tone. He leaned closer to the Mexican soldier and rested an arm on his shoulder. "In exchange, we can always try and hook you up with some good stuff if you know what I mean, those shower photos are pretty enticing."

Cholo took Tucker's right hand and screamed, "We shall!"

In long, happy strides, Cholo left the room. Church looked up to his host and asked, "How will you give him those photos when you don't have any to begin with?"

"Church," Tucker looked at his young subordinate skip merrily back up to the rooftop and felt something lift off from inside him, and his chest weighed lighter. "Just enjoy the moment, just enjoy the moment."

* * *

**A/N: That was a VERY long chapter. The longest I have written thus far in this story. It took me a long time to get this one out as I hit a lot of creative blocks along the way. I hope that finally it was enjoyable, and some progress for Tucker!**

**Do you find the bits with the new rookies enjoyable?**

**What are your thoughts thus far on the various elements to the story (ie. Plot, characterization, pacing, etc.)?**

**I would greatly appreciate the feedback. This story while not driven by an action-packed plot, it is something I have wanted to write for a long while with the Red vs Blue IP. Respectful feedback is always helpful!**

**Thank you for your continued support. Till the next chapter!**

**~ Monty**


	13. Chapter 12: Cellmate

**Chapter 12: Cellmate**

A crowd bustled about around William. He got the grand view from his corner spot in the canteen. Under the slight cover of darkness, his one hand rested against the right side of his rib cage. He grunted with every bite he took of what he could hardly clasify as food. He lifted up the overdone fish and the rice, _all of it is so dry. How can they even call this food?_ He pondered, and continued to forcibly consume. The pain from his violent encounter shot up once more with every vibration his body felt through the motions. He slowly leaned forward against the table, and his teeth gritted hard, so much so as if they were grinding against stone. The food did little to soothe his pain, and the medication given to him for it was less than stellar. In a few quick bites, he quickly swallowed his food and rid himself of the taste with his cup of water. Having rid himself of the food tray, he left the canteen with one hand still holding his side rather tightly. _I need to visit that doctor to get me something stronger_.

On his way back to his cell, William noticed the very familiar guard stand in his way, the very same who acted as his guardian diety against the gang of hooligans. The man pointed back towards William's cell and explained, "You are getting a new cell mate today. Be sure to play nice."

William took notice of a box of goods on the extra bed upon reaching his cell. He looked around at his surroundings to see what gazes leered around him. With very few bodies around, he entered the cell to promptly open the box and took an immediate note of the contents. There was hardly any literature inside, and what there was could not be considered as such at Williams' level. _The packing is quite haphazard_, thought Williams as he was careful not to move the items too much. His eyes shifted to the one book that was inside, a young adult novel, _I wonder if this cell mate of mine is someone on the young side_. He quickly covered the box with its lid and sat to his side with his book in hand. _Its not my place to pry any more, but I am curious to meet you my young friend_. William flipped the page he finished from which he had last left on.

* * *

It wasn't long before two guards approached his cell with the prisoner in tow. William studied his new cell mate from head to toe. Just as he had predicted, it was a young man. His eyes were covered by his shoulder length shaggy dark brown hair. His feet quickly scrambled inside the cell with a strong push from the back. His form shrunk more so with every second that passed, and as their eyes met, his very presence became minuscule. _He looks no older than twenty-one_, thought William as he noticed the cell door close shut behind the young man. The guard undid the cuffs and watched the new inmate stare about in uncertainty of his future here. As the guard retrieved the handcuffs, he said, "Report tomorrow for your medical exam after breakfast. Enjoy your hair while its still there."

The other guard laughed as he turned to leave and said, "Welcome to hell!"

The young man's eyes shifted from the guards the quickly disappeared further into the hallway, and towards a familiar box. He quickly approached it to study its contents and felt a breath of relief as he saw the familiar packaging. William quietly watched the man with slight amusement tug at the corner of his lips. The young man was not ignorant to the presence behind him however as he shot a long, concentrated glare in William's direction. The young man sat down on his side of the bed as soon as William's eyes diverted back to the pages of his book. He took the box and gently pushed it down underneath the bed bunk.

"You can take your belongings out of there," William spoke alerting the young man, who once again felt his guard up. William offered a small smile in response and said, "I'm not going to take anything of yours. You can put your stuff on your side of the cell."

With his back faced against the old man, the younger one lied down on the harder bedding. _This one sucks worse than the one from the correctional facilities before_, thought the young man. He shifted further inwards to try and find the sweet, comfortable spot. William sat with his mouth a little agape, as one eyebrow raised high and his head tilted to one side just as if he was hit by a ball to one cheek. His voice made no effort to hide the discontent and offense he felt. "Well, nice to meet you as well."

The lights for their sector slowly dimmed, till there was only darkness. William noticed no prisoners in the halls. They were all back in their cells, it was time as dictated by the prison for them to go to sleep. He put his book to the side with a small sigh of annoyance. _I wanted to read a little more, I suppose I will resume tomorrow_. He shifted his weight to one side of his body and fell down against the pillow. He kept his body facing the young man, _best not take any chances with what happened recently to me_. He kept his eyes half open, but the half-closed side was slowly gaining ground as he fell into a much needed slumber.

* * *

The next morning, William awoke the the rumblings of the prisoners around as the loud bell echoed in their cell block. He heard many slurs abound as he slowly lifted himself out of his bed. By the door was already the young man who waited in silence. Yet he too rumbled, through his stomach. He waited patiently for the door to open and grant him his mynute freedom. Several loud clangs banged against William's ears as he rubbed his eyes open. He looked out to find the morning music produced by the guards as their batons hit against the metal bars at different frequencies. The young man glared at the guard's approach, and before the guard even had a chance to hit his baton, the young man shouted, "I'm up, no need for you to be going around and throwing your hissy fit at us!"

"Watch your tongue, otherwise I will toss you in solitary confinement, you worthless shit!" the guard shouted in response as he then proceeded to bang the baton against the multiple bars. The young man scoffed and turned his gaze away towards the wall in front of him. William stood up with the stretch of his back and cleared his throat. "You have some ball standing up like that. Most prisoners don't dare doing so after their first day here. Most impressive."

William splurged his face in water and felt the cool sensation bring a clear headed clarity. He placed his toothbrush to the side and discarded of the contents of his mouth. Wiped clean, he walked back with great strides to the cell bars and extended a hand towards the young man. "Let's try last night again. Seeing as how we are stuck together for the foreseeable future, we may as well get to know one another. I'm William."

The young man looked at the aged hand and looked out the cell. "I know who you are. I have seen you in the news."

"I'm sure you have," William replied with a smirk tug at his lips. He retreated his hand slowly, a little disappointed, yet determined to convert this young one to his side. "As have many others. But the media only reports what is click worthy, most beneficial for them. They are a bunch of leeches looking to make money by discrediting others in the process. So, your name is?"

The young man looked at his older cell mate with an eyebrow raised up high, as if a puppet master controlled it with a string. He took a deep breathe and gently nodded his head. "It's Lyle."

"Tell me, Lyle," William began, getting the younger one's attention at the mention of his name. "What did you do that landed you in seemingly one of the most secure prison facilities here on Earth?"

"You are better off not knowing. Don't touch this subject again, old man."

"That's not very sporting of you," William argued as his bow furrowed a little. "After all, you know of my story already."

After a brief respite of silence, a temporary retreat into his thoughts, the young man looked up and said, "I killed a room full of people. I mutilated their bodies, and sprayed every corner, every inch of the walls with their blood."

Unshaken by the explanation, William pushed forward. "Do you regret what you did?"

"Regret?" Lyle in response scoffed, almost laughed. "It was one of my best nights yet. My best work to date to say the least."

"I'm sure that the media reported on it. What did you think about their reporting?"

"They are a bunch of tasteless blood bags with no eye for art," Lyle replied with his chest held out rather proudly. He glared out to the rest of the prisoners and guards. "I doubt there are any true appreciators of art here as well."

"I'm glad to have found something common in between us, Lyle," William said as he stood closer to the door. He knew it was almost time for their first meal. "You are not wrong in thinking that the media mis-represents what we did, or why we did it. They do it because its convenient for them, and to fulfill their own selfish goals."

The prison door opened and William inched outward. He motioned for Lyle to follow him to their breakfast. The two men that were once enemies yesterday, now walked side by side as allies in the making.

* * *

In the cafeteria, William settled his tray on a much familiar table. Covered in partial darkness, he sat more in the shadows as Lyle took the opposite spot. William gently dug his spoon into the oatmeal and lifted it out like a shovel. He felt the cold touch of the spoon against his lips and let the contents fall in. They were somewhat cold and hard to digest. A dish hardly worth praising the prison chef over. Lyle on the other hand could care less for the stomach demanded its fair share of the fuel. He ate quickly, and without precision. Milk jumped out from Lyle's bowl and onto the table. It was no secret that William was somewhat disturbed by this display. However, he kept his comments to himself for William was a man of greater wisdom, at least he felt it to be so. William rested the spoon in the pool of milk and asked, "What was it that you used to do before coming here?"

"Therapy," replied Lyle as he picked up a stray scrap off the table and lodged it into his mouth. "Therapy for the mind...at least it was. That is until I was given..._permanent_ leave from the sessions."

"The freedom must have been quite exhilarating," William mused as a smile formed on his lips. Lyle nodded his head and said, "The others never believed in my recovery, so I just chose to show it to them instead."

"I'm happy for you," William batted back as he gently looked up from the half-way empty bowl. "That must have been quite therapeutic in and of itself."

"If only," Lyle complained as he drank the remaining milk. "It didn't do me a damn bit of good. I traded one life for another by ending up here in this shit hole."

William wiped the spots of crumbs clean and leaned forward towards the young one. He slowly smiled whilst eyeing the surrounding prisoners. "Tell me Lyle, how would you like to get out of this...shithole?"

A spark flared in Lyle's eyes and they immediately perked. The two found themselves locked in contact. The silence and an intense gaze was a clear equation of interest. He continued, "I have things being set in motion, and nothing will stop me."

"And you don't believe I could stop you in the future?"

"Believe me," William fought hard to hold back a laughter at the mere suggestion. "The worst you can do is inflict physical pain and maybe hinder the plan, or kill me. But you can do nothing in the grander scheme of things to stop me. And if you were to kill me, think about it, the only man who is offering you a chance at freedom will be gone."

Lyle dug his spoon back into the cereal with the shake of his head. "There are hundreds of guards here, all armed to the teeth. You think you are some sort of badass with a plan?"

William simply smiled in response, and prompted for Lyle to fill the ever growing silence. "I knew you were crazy the moment I laid my eyes on you, old man."

"Think about it carefully, kid," William said slowly as he leaned forward. His hands both joined in unison, and the tip of his nose rested atop them. "I didn't climb my way to the top just through hard work. I have connections, many connections that I can make use of for my own purposes. So, you can either join me, or stay out of my way. If you try to stop me, I won't show any mercy."

William quickly found himself faced with the edge of a spoon, pointed straight at his throat. Lyle banged his fist against the table and said, "I can kill you right now if I want!"

The other prisoners stopped a moment to look, as did the staff. William shifted Lyle's attention to their audience for the two had taken center stage, and he felt the need to exit stage right rather fast. Lyle sat back down and finished the last of his porridge. As the crowd went back to the norm, William said, "Like I said before, killing me won't get you anything. You yourself know the consequences, because I would like to think that you are smart, but a truly smart man would join my cause and help the two of us escape."

Lyle slowly collected his plate and stood up. But before he left, he scoffed in William's direction, "I will think about it, old man."

* * *

William quickly found himself alone in the corner table. A sight most familiar. He looked at the soggy oatmeal and felt a loss of appetite just from the mere unappealing smell of it. It wasn't long before William found himself some additional company however, but not in the form he had expected this morning. The guard who had saved him stood by his side, who quietly observed the old man for a few minutes, before forcibly getting his attention. "There is someone here to visit you."

_To visit me_, William thought as he watched the guard motion for the visitation center. _It must be Jacob_. He stood up to put his tray away and followed the guard down to his booth. William sat down to face a hazel eyed man. His stub was ever so prevalent when the land around was cleanly shaved. William looked at the combed hair and found some unexpected amusement. _You never put this much effort into looking clean and kept when we held the hearings in the court. But it takes visiting a prison to get you in order, what a guy_. He picked the receiver to his right. Jacob straightened out his tie and blazer. With a cleanly kept shirt, he looked in William's direction. The older man snickered to himself and said, "Your tie and your three button suit are just fine, Jacob."

"My apologies," he replied with a deep, yet strong voice. He settled down his suitcase in front of him. William rested forward with his elbows against the small table counter, connecting the two. "Thanks for coming all the way out here."

"Of course," Jacob turned to open his case and said, "However, it's not easy getting here."

"I would imagine," William mused with a smile. "But you still managed to find a way."

"There aren't that many places left in this world where man has not figured out how to get to yet," Jacob replied as he bent down for his suitcase. "Or the universe for that matter."

William watched his friend organize through the pile of documents within the suitcase. Jacob opened a folder and organized the documents neatly. "Let's start."

Jacob held one in front of the window for William to read in all its glory. William's eyes directed towards the last line, in which it was bolded very carefully with underlined words. "Will this speed up my release, or at least give me another chance at a trial?"

"I don't really know," Jacob admitted as he waved the papers and rested them atop the folders. "I really had to stretch my ideas for this one in trying to find arguments to have the justice system give you another chance. Though this time, hopefully under a much less strict judge and jury."

"It is still better than nothing," William crossed his arms and silently nodded. "Well done, Jacob."

"By the way," Jacob held the paper up against the window once again. "There is an important line at the very end, to the bottom right. Be sure to read that."

William raised an eyebrow at the suggestion, however his eyes lit up like a light bulb as soon as he saw a small fonted ink. In a very soft whisper, he read, "We are working to obtain more information from the warden on the architecture of this prison. Based on the analysis, we will come up with an attack plan. It will require both internal and external cooperation to help with your escape."

Jacob rested the papers, blank side up once again. William stared in the direction to his left, as a knock invaded his ears. "You have five more minutes, William. Make it quick."

As the door closed, William looked back to his friend and said, "You have done a great job. I appreciate you sticking your nose out for me."

"I'm simply helping a friend in need," replied Jacob. "You shouldn't be here as you did nothing wrong."

"If only the rest of the world saw it that way."

"I'm sure they will soon," Jacob answered with a concrete sense of confidence. William nodded in agreement. "Yes, they will. I'm sure all of them will."

* * *

**A/N: After a long time, I am finally able to release another chapter. Life has gotten super busy lately, therefore I barely get any more time to do writing. However, I will see these stories through to the end.**

**A new character is introduced here and please look forward to more future jail antics!**

**What did you think of the chapter?**

**Feedback is appreciated!**

**Thank you for your support in reading my work and hope to see you next time!**

**~ Monty**


	14. Chapter 13: Coffee Date

**Chapter 13: Coffee Date**

A gentle breeze blew a few strands of his black hair to dance freely and wildly. The hustle and the bustle around him kept his ears alert and his eyes wide open. He faced out to see the Saturday crowd in downtown core. The breeze of the morning carried a certain chill that commanded his body to shudder. The sniffles gripped at his nose tightly. He jumped up and down in his spot in a futile effort to create warmth. _The seasons are changing_. As his breath left him, he saw some fog come about into existence, but disappear just as quickly. _I wonder if the winter will be hitting us harder this year than it did the last_.

To distract himself from the chill that continued to dig away into his body, he pulled out his phone and saw no new messages. He looked back up and recalled the words of his close friend, David, to go and enjoy his time today. Simmons stepped to the side as he felt his shoulder be pushed from his right. He stared out to the crowd, a sea that only seemed to increase with every passing minute. _People want to make use of whatever time they have left before winter hits I guess_. However, he could not help but be concerned with the increasing heart rate. He felt the moisture in his palms build. His mind descended into panic. But he quickly shook his mind out of such a trance. He rubbed his hands together and crossed them close to his chest. The sweat slowly dried and his heart calmed. At the mere mention of his name, his mind became aware, yet very relaxed from the familiar and soft voice. He turned to see Allie make her approach towards him. Her black jacket flowed with the wind as the only protection underneath was a sky colored, blue t-shirt. Her hair was vibrant with wavy curves at the ends, as opposed to the more serious person he saw on duty before. Her long skirt jiggled from one side to the next with every fast motion of her legs. On her legs only rested the thick stockings. Her long boots clacked against the cement. She carefully navigated her way forward so as to maintain both her balance and grace. The sun that shined off her radiant skin indicated a light touch of makeup, with a visible pink gloss coating her lips like paint on a canvas.

Simmons knew that gravity exerted its influence on his lower jaw, however he closed it back up quickly. No matter the necessity for words, only a mumble would come out. He tightly closed his eyes and cleared his throat. Her growing smile at his antics left her very amused, and him, very conscious. _Goddammit! Why do I have such bloody trouble talking to women properly?!_ He again cleared his throat and looked around to the various shops. "This place is filled with so many restaurants. Did you have a place in mind as to where you might like to go?"

* * *

As if she had hoped for the question, she pointed to a cafe near to their left before he even completely finished. _Someone's prepared_, thought Simmons. Allie clapped her hands together with an innocent, and child-like smile. "I very much like their lattes, much more so than any other place I have visited."

"You like coffee?"

"Probably can't live without it," Allie laughed. "How about you?"

"Hmm...what is even water?" Simmons remarked in a very sarcastic, yet light hearted tone. "Coffee is where all the action is at."

As he heard her giggles, some confidence re-instilled itself into him. He motioned for them to depart as they slowly worked their way through the crowd. As uncomfortable as he was, the mere thought of someone familiar by his side helped to set his mind at ease rather quickly. "It's a popular spot. I can see why you picked this place."

"Not just because of popularity," Allie spoke. "But also because of how well they deliver on their promise of giving us the best lattes in this city."

The doors to the cafe parted as soon as they stepped within its proximity. Inside the halls were draped in a red fabric. _Quite fancy for a cafe_, thought Simmons. The further in they stepped, the more the warmth wrapped them into its comfort. He felt the morning chill to be a thing of the past, for now he bathed in all the warmth he could imagine here. At the end of the hall, there stood a single podium with a waitress happy to greet new customers. With a wide, chirpy smile, she spoke, "A table for two?"

"Yes, please," Simmons replied and saw the almost full establishment. _It's only the morning right now, and yet, they are this full._ He followed the waitress with Allie close by. The waitress motioned towards a corner table that was half illuminated by the lights above, where as the other half slowly transitioned towards the dark shadows. Wood as smooth as the ceramic tiled floors. Simmons gently rubbed his fingers against it to hardly find a speck of dust. "It's quite rare to find wooden tables nowadays."

"I told you this place is popular, and that's for a reason," Allie winked as she rested her purse to her side and took a seat in the cushioned chair. Simmons looked at the flower engravings on the table and agreed with a slight nod. "Good pick."

The waitress rested two menus to the opposite ends and said, "Someone will be with you shortly to take your order. Until then, please, get comfortable."

"Thanks," the two replied as they watched her walk back to her post. Simmons looked at the menu items under the cover of darkness. Allie twirled one finger in her hair as her eyes frantically scanned up and down from the various food items. Simmons raised an eyebrow in intrigue, "You okay?"

"Yeah," she answered. "Just so many options to pick from. This is like one of the most exciting parts of going to a restaurant. Making a choice of what you want to eat from the wide platter they offer."

"Well, since it's my first time here, what would you recommend for me?"

"Hmm, let see," she quickly scanned the menu, and like a spark of fire, her eyes lit up with her choice made. She reached over and leaned in close, rather a little too close for Simmons to maintain his composure. "I would go with the breakfast plate here and the velvet hot chocolate. Their hot chocolate is one of the best items here for something warm."

He felt a lock of her hair brush against his face, and his body quickly froze at the simple, yet confusing touch. The scent of her shampoo painted the walls of his nose. _It's sweet, and fruity like strawberries_, he pondered, slowly having backed up. _Yet I'm still that same little boy, unable to talk to women. I can't even talk with her, or behave normally around her now anymore_. The waitress made her approach, Simmons was not one to complain for this disruption in pace for he knew he needed it. The two of them promptly put their orders in. Allie turned her attention back to her nervous date and leaned in close once more. A smile struck her as she saw his muscles harden and freeze with several noticeable shakes in his legs. Simmons slowly backed away and kept himself from holding his hands up high. "W-what is it, do I have something on my face?"

"Nope," she sat back down and rested the side of her head in her left palm. "I was just thinking about how much you have changed, with the beard and all. But being around you still feels very familiar."

"Just how close were we?" asked Simmons. "I mean, I do remember trying to ask you out once for the school dance, so we must have been good friends."

"How close were we," she sighed. "Good question. I would say we were close enough to be able to share some of our well kept secrets from others."

_That close_, he pondered as he felt the visage of a thread, tying the two together by their pinkies. "What caused you to move here for work, all the way from the US?"

"When I finished my studies," she looked out to the bustling downtown shops. "I was offered occupational training here, and after that they offered to keep me full-time. I took the jump and decided to stay. The nice weather without much snow here is a great bonus."

"Even the chill from the morning today?"

"Meh," Allie mused as she raised her hands in contemplation. "Every weather has its charm, including the chill. It tends to help a lot when I need to wake up in the mornings, its a great natural remedy to my sometimes oversleeping."

Simmons grinned at what he could only see as a dry attempt, but an attempt nonetheless, at humour. "You know, ever since I visited the hospital and saw you, I thought long and hard about our time together as children."

"And?"

"Well...," he gently squished his fingers together to the side of his head. The more the silence dragged on, the more it seemed like Allie's face dropped in energy, quite visibly so. He looked up to the patterned ceiling and said, "I am starting to remember things here and there."

Her eyes slowly widened and a smile grew in relief. _I'm glad, not everything is lost_. Simmons rubbed his beard and fell an itch satiated. "I remember when you pranked me into going and painting the window of a supposedly empty house."

"Heh," Allie held her hand up as a giggle escaped. "I also remember how fast you ran away from that grumpy old man the moment he came out shouting in your direction."

* * *

_Cute_, he thought to himself as he saw her blush grow, and her giggle. Allie held her hand against her chest to calm her heart. "That was definitely one of those days where we ran our fastest no doubt."

"You did have a knack for being a troublemaker."

"Only when I was younger," she remarked. Simmons raised an eyebrow and asked, "And what about now?"

"Secret," she answered promptly with a shift in her gaze. "Although following that event, we did get quite the scolding from your dad when he found out."

Simmons' face instantly dropped dead of all emotions. A more stone like expression molded itself onto him and he slowly nodded with a cold aura about him. Allie looked in his direction with the slight shudder of her arm, _why the sudden grim change in mood?_ She pondered. She then asked, "What happened to your dad?"

Simmons remained quiet as he noticed the innocent curiosity in her eyes. She tilted her head, waiting ever so patiently. But no answer came, and continued to speak, "I just stopped seeing him one day. In fact, I didn't see much of you either before you moved."

His lips slowly dropped down into a frown, as his mind descended, deep into the black hole of which he has so long tried to escape. He looked up to find himself just the mere size of his seventeen year self. His black, thick glasses stood out, rounded like an owl's eyes, big and peering with curiosity at the world around him. A shirt was neatly tucked into his shorts. Braces which he had since long ago become accustomed to always stood out, but they were a part of him now no matter his opinion. He played with the bowl cut on his head and placed the individual strands back into place. _There, neatly organized, as all things should be_, he thought. He heard a rather unsettling bang from the direction of his parents' room and rushed out to see his mother on the floor. From the door frame, he only saw one, and a broken lamp beside her. He quickly rushed to her side and studied her for injuries. "Mom, are you okay?"

She sat quietly with her face dug into her knees. The darkness in the area did little to help him navigate the carpeted room. He felt the tiny pieces of the lamp beneath him and walked with the lightest of touches so as not to hurt himself. He leaned in close to her and held her by one hand. From what little he could see of her face, he saw a dried trail of tears. "Mom, what happened?"

She simply shook his grip away and seemed to squeeze shut her eyes tighter. He looked around the room to see no trace of his other parent. "Where's dad?"

Finally, having felt the prompt to speak, she looked up with a face cleaned of any expression. No energy could be sensed from this woman, as she said, "He has left us...for good."

"What?" Simmons slowly stood up to study the room around him once more. His eyes better adjusted, he saw his father's belongings missing. "No, dad wouldn't do this."

"He couldn't take it anymore," she said. "He told me that he wanted to be rid of this family."

"No," Simmons shook his head more violently. _Dad is a jerk for always picking on me and my nerdy qualities, but this doesn't sound like him_. He looked around once more and reached for the closet to find his clothes all gone. "No, you are lying!"

A glare quickly put him in his place as he saw the anger behind this weak woman's eyes, radiating like the intense heat of the big ball of fire in the sky. He quietened down, and gave her the needed peace. He looked around once more and saw something on the other lamp desk, opposite to his mother's side. He reached over for what seemed like a letter, and analyzed every written note carefully, so much so that his eyes stressed with red veins growing. The disbelief however outgrew at a far more exponential rate than the stress his eyes experienced. His hands slowly dropped to his sides for he felt a shortness of breath strangle him. He held his chest and felt violent tremors around him.

* * *

Simmons suddenly jolted to hear Allie call out to him. He gazed up to see a worry permeate from her seemingly calm features. She slowly leaned her head down to look directly at him. "Are you okay?"

Unresponsive to the question, he pondered, _am I really okay?_ And his mind brought him back to his history. The young man bit his lower lip for he struggled to hold his whimpers back. _Dad, why would you do this?_ He slowly crumpled the letter. _How could you do this?_ He couldn't help but feel an urge to punch the bed, the walls, the windows and curse at the world around. The world was silent, all but loud footsteps of two boots echoed in his ears from the hallway. In the doorway to the room, Simmons saw a figure stand alone. _Dad?_ He stood up to walk closer to the figure, but stopped to see a man in armour. _No, this isn't you, you are not dad_. He took wary steps, closer to the figure until the colour red gleamed proudly with the upright figure. "Sarge?"

The man simply stood tall, stood firm and nodded with an exuberant sense of pride in the direction of the young man. Simmons once more felt a violent tremor for he was shaken out of his little road trip. Simmons looked up to find Allie gently touch his arm. She moved her hand up to his forehead, and asked once more, "Simmons, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm...fine."

_You're not very good at covering up_, thought Allie. _I have seen better attempts. But I won't poke right now_. She reluctantly nodded her head and watched their waitress approach with their orders. The sweet aromatic fragrant of the creamy hot chocolate filled the air as it settled besides Simmons. He took a small stir to the drink and rested his lips against the warm cup. As the liquid refreshment slithered up the cup, Simmons' eyes opened wide. He studied the drink with great interest, and with a craving for another sip. _How can a simple drink like hot chocolate be made so delectable?_

Allie held out her latte towards Simmons and asked, "Want some?"

He kindly and promptly rejected the offer for he was content with his hot chocolate. She poked at the cream with her spoon and watched it morph like a cloud, or a batch of foam in the sea of caffeine. "Sorry Simmons, but I have to ask."

He perked up his ears as her fingers played in a rhythm with one another. She felt her chest puff out, and shrink back in. "What was it that was going through your mind, when I asked if you were okay before?"

_You don't take no for an answer that easily, do you?_ He pondered as he took another sip so that the warm refreshment could line his throat. He slowly sank back into his seat and looked to his left. The shop felt lively, as did his mind, like the tune of a merry dance festival. "It was just an old memory."

* * *

Edwards sat beside Simmons and softly gazed in the direction of the hot chocolate. "You don't trust your old childhood friend to be open enough with her?"

Simmons ignored the child's words as he took another sip. He knew Edwards' gaze followed the cup and a smile slowly plastered on his face with every sniff of the fragrance in the air. _Yet another thing you could never experience. The joys that reside of the here, and the now_. He finished his hot chocolate half-way, yet his heart already felt full from the bottle he drank last night. Simmons touched the now room temperature eggs and toast. The bacon still hot left a salty after taste, only to be washed down by the sweet taste of the hot chocolate. Allie occasionally gazed up in the silence that was not comfortably present between the two. "So, any plans for later today?"

"Not really."

"I see," she quickly reached for her drink. The silence made itself known very well to the two, and quickly asserted dominance over the situation. As the two split the bill, and left the building, Simmons looked at the crowd with a slightly cold stare. _That felt like a failure_. Allie was quick to take note of the gloomy clouds above his head, that followed him like a magnet wherever he went. _I wonder what can I do to cheer him up?_

If she didn't know any better, certain clouds begun to form over her head as well. That was most concerning, _if I remember right, he has severe PTSD, which is stabilized. I wonder if something I said before acted as a trigger of sorts for some bad memories_. The two, now outside, saw a clearing in the crowd. Allie gently tapped Simmons' hand and asked, "Keep me company for a little while longer?"

* * *

_What's there left for us to do?_ He wondered as he slowly followed her out into the crowd. _We already went to the coffee shop as we had planned_. Allie led him by the hand through the sea of people, and towards a real sea. The ocean waves clamoured against the concrete wall, that held the man-made structures up. Back, and forth, in a rhythm the waves danced. The seagulls basked in the breath of the Earth, and the warm glare of the sun. Allie leaned over the edge as her hair was sent aflutter. "I really like this place. Even with the weekend crowd, this place is normally very calming."

Allie propelled Simmons forward at her behest. "I normally come take walks here whenever my mind is cluttered with thoughts."

_Cluttered with thoughts, huh?_ He pondered as he stared out to the band of seagulls, that flew around a littered box of fries. _I wonder, what was I to Sarge, and how was it that he managed to invade that memory of mine?_

Allie noted the one-sided nature of this conversation and asked, "Simmons, would you be willing to confide in me as a medical professional, rather than a friend right now?"

"Confide in you...what do you mean?"

"It's clear that you are disturbed by something, and this started back at the cafe. I just don't know what it is," she bit her lower lip. "Rather than throwing things against a wall and see what sticks, I would rather that we have an open conversation."

Simmons stopped in his tracks to take note of the ship in the distance. The loud roars echoed like the shout of a ruler lion in the forest. Allie looked up at his distant gaze and asked, "Well?"

"I...," Simmons slowly turned his attention towards her. He knew what he wanted to say, yet the words hesitated in their formation. "I don't think I want to today. Maybe someday we can talk openly, but I'm not ready right now, even if you ask me as a medical professional."

"Then, what else can I do to turn that frown upside down?"

_I was frowning?_ He shook his shoulders, gazing down hard enough to just see the brink of his nose, yet his facial muscles told him all that he needed to know. "How about we make our way back now?"

* * *

"Fine," she spoke and the two retraced their steps, and back towards the parking lot where Simmons parked. "Simmons, did you actually enjoy your time with me today?"

"For what it's worth, yeah," he replied only to take a quick note of her reddened cheeks. "It's just that I have a lot of things to work out at the moment."

Simmons undid the lock around the bike and tightly fastened his helmet onto his head. Allie quickly reached over to his arm, one last hurdle to keep him from getting on his bike. He looked over to her as a bit of time passed in silence. "What's up?"

"May I hug you, you know, like the good old days?"

Simmons' mouth slowly fell open unknown to him, but he agreed much to the joy of his date. She wrapped her arms around his back and remained locked longer than he had anticipated. In a soft whisper, she spoke to him, "It was really good to see you again. I hope we can meet again."

The two slowly parted. _Strange_, wondered Simmons, _that did make me feel a little better I suppose_. "I'm sure you will, the clinic has practically become a second home to me after all."

Allie's expression slowly turned dark at his statement. "That's not something any nurse or doctor would ever want to hear from their patient."

"But it is true," Simmons rebutted as he sat down on the bike. He felt the engine roar of his little beast, and the two knew it was time to say their parting words. Allie looked back with her hand up in a wave. "Feel free to call me sometime, let's hang out again!"

He slowly backed the bike and waved in her direction as he drove off. _Her smile was cute_, he thought as he merged from the shopping district and onto the main highway. He felt his chest beat loudly. _What is this feeling, this strangeness?_ He looked far into the distance as he overtook the traffic in front of him. _Is this what it's like for Wash and Carolina as well, to have one another by their side?_ He increased his speed at the open patch in traffic and felt the wind brush past his shoulders. _Is this a good feeling, a feeling I welcome right now?_ He pondered as he drove off towards his reprieve.

* * *

**A/N: Another long break in between the chapters, but I hope it was worth the wait!**

**So I recall receiving a review about developing romantic relationships between characters. Let no one say I don't listen to my readers ;). Simmons, while still haunted by his past, also received a bit of a break in this chapter. What did you think about this chapter?**

**Please give me your feedback, for it is your feedback that would help to make the story and writing better.**

**Thanks for reading! **

**I hope you continue to tune in and enjoy!**

**~ Monty**


End file.
